What we Have
by Lyra Verse
Summary: Rick is afraid. Afraid of disappointing everyone and being a bad leader. Michonne is someone who can help with all of this. But is he going too far in his demands of her and does she really care about him or is she just being a good soldier who never leaves her post? Richonne. Rated M. This is more than a one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Okay. So I was working on my other fic, **Running to the End**, which is a Dixon fic. But I really like the idea of Richonne too so I decided to start this one as well. It's a little after the last episode featuring Beth in the hospital. Eugene, Abraham, Glenn, Rosita, and Maggie are back with the group. And Carol, Daryl, and Noah have managed to escape the hospital and reconnect with the group as well. Now everyone is on their way to Washington. -

Chapter One: Orders

"We can check the cafeteria here," Rick said of the school they had just come across. They could spot a few straggling walkers roaming around the outside of the perimeter, right inside the fences and gates. Seeing that the entire school was completely fenced off, it seemed as if someone had tried to fortify the place and stay there for a while. Maybe they had a few supplies stockpiled before things went tailend. Or maybe not. It was a risk. "What you think?" he asked, Michonne. She was standing at his shoulder with her sword drawn, looking out for any walker that might get too close.

She glanced at the fenced in place. "Do you think it's a good idea?" she asked. "Just the two of us?" He could hear the reservations in her voice.

They were supposed to be on a simple trek out to scout what kind of areas lay ahead and where they could possibly camp for the night. It wasn't supposed to be a supply run. That's why it was just Rick and Michonne. They had left the bus full of their group behind about a mile back while everyone else rested and went about their own small missions to ensure the safety and health of the group. Carol had come back with a broken ankle so they had stopped to allow her some relief from the bumps in the road.

Rick still hadn't heard a very clear story about what had happened at the hospital. All he knew was that Beth was dead and Noah, the skinny and tall black kid they had brought back, was going to be traveling with them now. Daryl and Carol vouched for him so he couldn't be all bad. Rick was still going to keep an eye on him though. Things were starting to feel off to him; he didn't feel quite safe (as safe as he could feel in a zombie apocalypse) and he couldn't pin down why. It bothered him. And now three of his strongest people in the group were battling something that might throw them off their game. Carol had an injury and Daryl and Maggie were mourning Beth. He shook his head slightly at the thought of Beth. Another one of his people dead. Why could none of the sweet ones survive?

His eyes cut back to the schoolyard and the lack of zombies wandering around. "I think we can take 'em," he said. "Food is running low and we gotta make sure people are fed. If we run into trouble, we'll just get the hell outta there."

Rick could tell that Michonne still didn't like the idea, judging from the deepening of her frown, but she gave a short, sharp nod to show him that she was with him. "Maybe we can find a bag or something inside," she said, noticing that neither had a bag for carrying supplies.

"Maybe," Rick said. "Let's go."

Michonne thought they were being reckless. But it was true that they were running out of food. And Daryl could only bring back so much from a hunt. She followed Rick through a hole they found in the fence (from someone else's long ago entrance it seemed) and she trotted behind him through the wide open parking lot that led to the back of the building. Whenever a walker would amble towards them, she took her sword to their skull, taking them out. Rick only had his gun and they didn't want to fire any shots to draw anymore of them over. "How are we getting in?" she asked as they paused at the lock door. They could go around and look for a door that might happen to be ajar but she was assuming that the place was going to be entirely locked down.

Rick looked as if he didn't know for a moment and then he got an idea. He wasted no time in ripping the sleeve off of his blue button-up shirt and wrapping it around his hand. He elbowed the window in the double doors twice, causing it to break and shatter. Michonne glanced around, seeing if any walkers were taking the noise as an invitation. She saw none that hadn't already been put down by her. She then watched as Rick reached carefully through the broken window to unlatch the door from the inside. She cringed when she saw him cut his arm on one of the broken shards as he reached through but he didn't make a noise. He took the pain in silence. The only hint that he felt it at all was the way his forehead flushed red and the way his jaw clenched. "Are you okay?" Michonne asked.

Rick gave a short nod. "It's chained up," Rick said, feeling metal running through the door handles. "I don't know if we can get in." Michonne peered around for more walkers as he figured it out. "Ah. Here we are. We can. It's tied. Not locked." He fumbled around with the chains some more until Michonne heard them cling and clang and fall to the ground. Rick brought his arm back out and opened the door. It was easy now that it was no longer locked. Michonne followed him inside and closed the double doors again, re-chaining them so that no walkers could wander in from outside while they gathered things.

"You wouldn't happen to have an idea of where the cafeteria might be, would you?" she asked.

"No," Rick growled. "And I would appreciate it if you would keep that tone out of your voice."

Michonne glanced at Rick, upset. But she kept quiet. As far as she knew, she didn't have any kind of tone in her voice. She was just asking a question, hoping that they could get this done quickly.

Rick regretted snapping at Michonne. He knew that she had done a lot for him and Carl. If it weren't for her, he didn't know what might have happened. He could feel things slipping. His judgments, his morals, his relationship with Carl. He didn't know how to hold onto anything anymore. All he knew was that he had to survive. To keep Carl and Judith alive. And everyone else. "This way," he said roughly.

He would find the cafeteria and prove that he still knew what he was doing. And that he was still in control.

He was relieved when they came across the double doors of what he assumed would be the cafeteria. They had been wandering around the school for fifteen minutes now, killing the stray walkers that they came across throughout. Janitor, teacher, student, random townsperson. Sometimes Rick wondered who the person had been before all of this while he drove the butt of his gun into their brains.

"Here it is," Rick said confidently as he threw the doors open. His blood turned cold when he looked inside. It wasn't the cafeteria. It was a gym full of an assembly of walkers. Whether they had been in there since turning and just continued to spend the years bumping into each other or whether they were walkers who had gathered from the street, he didn't know. All he knew was that they were all turning to focus on Michonne and him, their groaning and moaning intensifying to tell the two just how welcome they were. "Run!" Rick shouted.

Michonne didn't need to be told. She had already turned on her heel and began to dash back down the hallway, Rick right behind her. Forgetting about keeping quiet since they had already run into a hoard of the things, he turned and fired shots into the crowd of the dead to keep a couple of them at bay then he kept going.

That was the wrong thing to do. Alerted by the gunshots, a few walkers shambled from empty classrooms. Rick watched with his heart in his throat as Michonne took three out in quick succession with the blade of her sword. But now there were walkers coming at them from both directions. Rick fired and Michonne cut but they were quickly being crowded. In a panic, Rick couldn't help but to think of how he would feel if they were to die now. If Michonne were to die because of him. This was his fault entirely. She didn't even want to be here.

"In here!" Rick yelled, looking behind him. He threw open the door to a classroom and shut it quickly after Michonne ran in behind him. Wasting no time, he pushed the large teacher's desk up against the door and some students' desks too; Michonne helped him, propping one right underneath the doorknob. Walkers groaned and pounded on the other side. He saw dead eyes peering in at them and rotted teeth gnashing. 'Great! How are we gonna get outta this!' he wondered. He looked around the room. There were three windows, but they were at the very top of the opposite wall and narrow. They were obviously there just to allow the bare minimum of sunlight in. He sighed and looked around some more. When he didn't see anymore escape routes, he released his frustration on side of the bookshelf facing him. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he yelled, punching it three times before knocking it to the ground.

"Rick!" Michonne said. "Rick! It's okay. Focus. They're not gonna get in anytime soon. They're weak." She assumed these walkers hadn't eaten much since their initial feast at the beginning of this whole thing. The door wasn't even budging as they pushed at it.

Rick's heart was pounding in his chest but he heard Michonne's voice. "Do you think you can get up to those windows and get through?" he asked.

"Yeah," Michonne said. "If you help me." She looked at the windows. They were very narrow. She was pretty sure she could get through... "What about you?" she asked. "I don't think you can fit through those."

"It doesn't matter," Rick said. "You can go get the camp and bring them back here."

Michonne nodded.

"Will you be able to get down on the other side?" Rick asked, as Michonne began to move objects over that she could climb onto. "We don't know how high up the windows are."

"I'll figure something out," Michonne said.

"Here," Rick said, bending down. "Get on my shoulders."

Not feeling perplexed or ridiculous at all in the face of danger, Michonne gingerly placed her legs over Rick's shoulders and held on as he slowly stood up. "You okay?" Rick asked., holding onto her thighs to make sure she didn't fall. He could feel her muscles flexing beneath her jeans as she fought to maintain her balance.

"Yeah," Michonne responded. "Get up onto those desks."

Rick stepped up onto the desks that Michonne had constructed beneath the windows and stood up. He held his breath as he wobbled a bit, but he saw that Michonne could reach one of the windows now, if she reached up, which is what she did. She opened the window, gripped the windowsill, and then slowly raised herself up, gently stepping onto Rick's shoulders as she stood.

Rick tried as hard as he could to stand still. But when Michonne stopped moving, he started to feel the strain on his shoulders. "What do you see?" he asked. He assumed Michonne was about to respond when he heard a loud thud on the door, followed by a scrape. Startled, he shifted and went tumbling to the ground, Michonne coming right after him.

"Ah!" One of the desks they had been standing on fell after them, thankfully missing them both since Michonne drew her legs out of the way just in time. "Are you okay?" Rick asked, ignoring the pain in his side to focus on Michonne. Not only had he gotten her into this mess, now he had messed up again by causing them both to fall to the ground. His forming bruise could wait.

"Yeah, I think so," Michonne said, sitting up slowly. She looked to the door and saw that the walkers were becoming more insistent. It was as if they could comprehend that their dinner had been about to escape. Michonne looked back up at the window. She could definitely escape through that window but she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't be getting up with an injured ankle when she was out. And she didn't feel comfortable leaving Rick in this room anymore. Not now that she saw the walkers were getting more impatient. "This won't do," she said. "We've got to think of something else."

Rick let out a frustrated sigh. 'God!' The pressure began to build in his temple again. The pressure that always came when he was in a bind and needed to get out. And that's exactly what needed to happen. They needed to get out. And that was final. He looked at the throb of walkers and then back at Michonne. His heart beating fast, he came to a decision. He just needed to know that she was with him on it. "We have to fight our way through," he said.

He knew it sounded crazy, but adrenaline and the will to survive was coursing through his body. He felt like he could do it. He only needed to feel like Michonne could do it too. When she didn't bat an eyelash but just nodded his way, he knew he didn't have to worry. She was going to fight her way through and make it out with him. "If you feel at all like you can't handle it anymore," Rick said. "You keep fighting anyway!" Rick said. "Don't let them bite you! You get me?" Michonne nodded. It was an order. She was good at following orders.

His fingers twitching with energy, Rick reloaded his gun and then rushed forward to grab a long, wooden pointer for when he ran out of ammo. He was ready. He moved forward and placed his hand on the desk. To assure that Michonne was still with him, he turned back and nodded once more to Michonne.

'You ready?' the nod said.

'Ready,' Michonne nodded back.

Rick pushed the large desk away from the door and then the smaller ones. Then he opened the door. They spilled inside.

Michonne didn't hesitate to start cutting them down. Rick used the pointer to take care of the first few, stabbing them through the eyes, and then he began to shoot his way through. A clearing opened up. "Put your back to mine!" Rick shouted.

Michonne did so and they began to make their way out. Michonne would have been lying if she said that she wasn't afraid. She was terrified. This was the most danger she had been in from these things in a while. She could see hands reaching toward her. Feel them! As they closed around her and Rick. Michonne cut limbs off here and there, letting her instincts take over. 'We're gonna make it out of here!' she thought determinedly, feeling Rick move behind her. His back was strong and supportive. And they both never stopped moving. Because that meant death.

Michonne was thankful for having sharpened her blade right before they set out because she swung and took two out at once, the blade going through one head and then the other. A stab brought another one down, but her blade momentarily got stuck. She had to pause to yank it out. Feeling a small space between his back and hers, she heard Rick growl out. "Stay with me! Keep your back to mine!" She didn't have time to reply because she was surprised by one of the fallen walkers snapping at her heels. She must have missed its brain. Her heart pounding in her chest, she brought her sword down into his brain and then pulled it out again.

"Against the wall!" Rick said urgently, feeling afraid that they were getting too surrounded. Like a machine, Michonne followed his instructions immediately, cutting her way a space to the wall and then putting her back against it. Rick shot his own way to the wall and stood beside her. Michonne stabbed a walker coming up on her right and kept going. Rick was doing the same, walking sidewise and clearing the way forward. The bullets ran out in Rick's gun and he began to bash at them with the butt of the thing and using the wooden pointer to full affect.

With wide eyes, Michonne felt like they were fighting for at least half an hour but it was probably more like five minutes later when Rick reached the door they had come in from and began to unchain the door as Michonne fought the walkers off. Rick opened the door and swung them open. Knowing that she was getting out of there, Michonne felt immediate relief. She followed Rick out the door and was glad to see that he had had the frame of mind to bring the chain outside. Michonne helped him hold the door as he chained the outside yard against the walkers.

When the door was chained and only a futile pulsating revealed that walkers were behind the door, Michonne dropped her arms to the ground and breathed with relief and exhaustion. The sun burned hot on her face and arms. 'Made it through another crises,' she thought. She didn't see Rick looking over at her as she soaked up the sun. Instead, when she opened her eyes, she looked over past Rick and let out a disbelieving chuckle.

"What?" Rick asked.

Michonne pointed past him with her sword. There was a building off to the side. One with double doors and you could see tables through the small windows. It was the cafeteria. The tables were askew and trash littered the floor so it looked like some group had already been through and scavenged. "You still wanna go in there?" she asked.

Rick put his hands on his hips, feeling silly. They had risked their lives. For nothing. "Let's go," he said. They couldn't leave now without at least checking. He peered inside the small windows. It seemed empty. He was surprised when he pulled on the door and felt them open. Michonne followed him inside and helped Rick move tables against the closed double doors.

"Come on," Rick said when they were done. It was time to check for stray walkers before rummaging.

The place was clear. Thankfully of walkers but regretfully of food as well. They only found a few cans of peas and other assorted vegetables. They found a bag in the bag and put the cans in it and placed it on one of the tables. Rick was feeling ridiculous. They had risked their life for peas and corn. The risk far outweighed the gain. His jaw muscles clenched in frustration.

He looked at Michonne; she had gone to the windows in the double doors again. Her slim body was tense and always on alert. "Any more of 'em?" he asked.

"No," Michonne said. "Nothin' we can't handle. You ready to go?"

Rick watched her as she moved back to the table, took her sword off of her shoulder to place that on the table while she rummaged through their findings again. She wasn't saying anything. She was just focused on the contents of the bag. That strong look of concentration on her face. "Why don't you say it?" he asked.

"Say what?" Having taken note of their findings again, she picked her sword back up. Ready to go.

"Anything," Rick said. "What you think about all this."

Michonne shrugged. But he knew she knew what he was talking about. She always did. "You felt like we needed supplies," she said. "We got some. I think it was a good call."

An angry vein appeared in Rick's temple. "Liar. You don't think this was a good idea at all."

"I think we could have used more backup, but I think it would have been silly for us not to at least check this place," Michonne said. She squinted at Rick. "You okay?"

Rick inhaled deeply and then exhaled. Michonne knew that meant that he was upset. She just didn't know for what. She really didn't blame him for what just happened if that was what he was worried about. He was about to say something when they both heard something that made them more afraid than the walkers. A vehicle. Other survivors.

Michonne grabbed the bag of food and her sword and dropped to the floor. Rick did the same.

From their experience with other survivors, they did not want to meet another group. Not now. When they were probably stopping by for the same reason that Michonne and Rick had. They may end up in a war over a couple of cans of peas and corn. They heard gruff voices. About five men it seemed. Rick and Michonne turned to look at each other from their spots on the floor. Their hearts were beating hard. As Rick looked into Michonne's eyes, he cursed himself. First walkers, now this. The men's voices faded and then disappeared to silence for a long amount of time. Michonne felt like it must have been about twenty minutes. Then the voices reappeared. Very close.

"Hey," One of the voices said. "Here's something. It looks like a cafeteria."

"Shit!" Rick muttered. He scooted over to the side, out of view of the window and then moved to his feet, placing himself beside the door. Just in case the man managed to come in and he needed to attack. Michonne followed his moves. Except she was on the other side of the door.

The door moved, but it didn't give. "It seems like it's blocked," the man said. "You think someone's in there?" Michonne and Rick shot each other panicked looks.

"Probably not," another man said. "Maybe someone blocked it 'cause of the walking dead."

"Don't look like there's no walking dead in there. Seems like someone definitely hit the place up though."

"I think we should just go," the other man said. "This place don't seem to have much. Plus, cafeteria food sucks."

Michonne and Rick waited with bated breath.

"Okay," the man said. "You're right. Don't wanna risk running into any of those things. We got enough from that last mansion we ran into anyway."

Rick and Michonne heard the two men begin to retreat. 'Are they really going to leave?' Rick wondered hopefully. 'Just like that?' He could see the hope in Michonne's eyes as well. When they heard the vehicle rev up and pull away, they stayed frozen where they were for at least ten more minutes. They couldn't believe that the people had gone away that easily.

Finally, Rick moved. He slowly crept away from his wall and came over to Michonne's side. He craned his neck to look through the window. She did as well. "They're really gone," Michonne said. It was clear outside. It really seemed as if they had lucked out.

Rick breathed a sigh of relief. His heart was still pounding in his chest from being on alert mode. In his process of relaxing, he noticed how close he was to Michonne. He was surprised to see that she only came up to the bottom of his chin. Despite her toughness, she was a really small woman. It was then that something strange happened.

Rick felt his loins stir in his pants. Michonne shifted on her feet when she saw a few walkers begin to gather outside. "They must have heard the men," she said quietly, oblivious to Rick's growing interest behind her.

"Yeah," Rick said, not focusing on the walkers outside at all. He was too lost in the physical changes that were happening in his body. It's not like this was the first time that he had noticed Michonne was an attractive woman but he never really thought she would cause him to react like this. He didn't really consider her to be his type. But then who could afford to have a type in this world. She was strong, she could take care of his kids, and they liked her. No wonder he was getting turned on now. He was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. It must have been because he didn't have the chance to focus on anything lately but keeping the group safe. Well, now he was definitely focusing on something else. His eyes traveled down Michonne's body. And it was something enticing. 'I've been having a really hard time lately,' he thought. 'Never really had the chance to release.'

Still unaware because her focus was so much on the outside, Michonne began to move from her spot near the window, but Rick stopped her with his hand on her waist. It was then that Michonne felt how close Rick was to her. His chest was against her back and now his hand was keeping her from turning around. "Rick?" she said, confused. Her brow was furrowed. "What are you doing?"

Rick didn't respond. He was starting something and now he felt like he should finish it. His heart was pounding, now from something else other than the wild panic he had felt earlier. With no more hesitation, he pulled Michonne up against his chest. Feeling how tense she was, Rick wasn't surprised when Michonne spun to face him. "Rick-!" He spun her back around, pulling her tighter against him. One arm across her chest and the other across her stomach.

"Shh!" he said. They stood silently for a moment. He was sure that Michonne's face was full of confusion right now and maybe anger. He was sure that she could feel his desire against her backside now. 'What are you doing, Rick?' he wondered to himself. The bond he and Carl had formed with Michonne came back to him but he shut it down. He didn't want to mess that up but something had come over him. He needed this. Right now. He slid his hand down from her stomach to the area between her legs. He heard Michonne gasp, but that's all she did. She didn't try to pull away or push away again.

Michonne's sensitive private area came to life when she felt Rick's touch. A hot, tingling sensation shot pleasure straight through her and she felt herself immediately begin to get wet. She had almost forgotten how this felt. Any sexual encounters had been put on pause for her since a couple of years ago. It had been awhile. And Rick...she never expected this from Rick. She froze, not knowing what she should do. She couldn't deny that what was happening felt good.

Feeling encouraged by the fact that she wasn't fighting against him or cutting his head off with that sword in her hand, Rick moved his hand between her legs, not being able to ignore that it was hot as a furnace down there. He couldn't see the way her eyes rolled closed. Or the way that her mouth opened on a silent moan. His arm stayed locked against her chest, pinning her to him as he worked his other hand down below. He didn't want her to run away from him. When her hips began to move, Rick knew that he was getting somewhere. His eyes opened and the intensity in them would have frightened Michonne if she could have seen.

Feeling that she wouldn't immediately fly away from him, Rick loosened his grip on her and slid his arm down to take her sword. He placed it on the table beside them. Not wanting her to gather her wits about her while she was no longer being held, Rick added pressure and speed to what he was doing below. "Ugh." A short moan escaped Michonne's throat as she fell slightly forward, catching herself with one hand, and widened her legs.

His manhood now throbbing in his pants, Rick moved his hips against Michonne's own as he rubbed her through her jeans. Wanting to feel her against him again, Rick pinned her to his chest once more with his free arm. This time he grasped one of her breasts.

Michonne felt like all of her nerve ends were on fire. She had forgotten this. This level of human contact. "Ugh..." she ground out, pushing her hips against Rick's groin. She began to go faster. Reaching for the climax she hadn't had in so long, humping against his hand and against the bulge in his pants. But before she could reach that peak, Rick removed himself from between her legs. He brought his hand up and began to unbuckle her pants.

The clink of the belt brought Michonne back to reality for a moment. Things were about to get serious. She panicked. 'What am I doing? This is Rick!'

"Rick!" Michonne said, stepping away. She managed to get herself out of the cage he had created between his body, the table, and the wall. "What's going on? This isn't the right time. You know what you're doing?"

Rick scowled. 'What? Does she still think I don't have a strong grasp on reality?' Rick wondered. Not feeling up to any kind of discussion now that he knew what he wanted, Rick moved forward. Michonne stepped back. His eyes were intense and hungry. Like they were when he went after the guys from Terminus. For a moment, Michonne's eyes went to her sword because she felt like she needed to defend herself. But against what? Pleasure?

Michonne squared her shoulders. "Get it together, Rick," Michonne said. "We don't have time for this."

"Shut up," Rick growled. He was on her in two steps. He opened her vest and threw it to the floor then unbuttoned her already unbuckled pants.

Michonne looked into Rick's eyes, disbelieving. He wasn't about to take no for an answer.

"Take your shirt off. Now," Rick said. He looked into her eyes and her face cleared. She was no longer confused. She understood. This was an order. She was good at following orders. 'Just once,' Rick pleaded with Michonne silently. 'Let's do this just once and then we can get past this later.' He was exerting his dominance because he wasn't sure if he could get Michonne any other way. He held his breath until Michonne grabbed the ends of her shirt and brought it over her head. He exhaled. She was doing it. This was about to happen. Rick's breathing increased and his manhood gave a small jump of excitement as he studied Michonne's bare skin. Her perky breasts beneath a purple bra. She was beautiful. "Now your pants," Rick said softly. Michonne slid her pants down to her ankles and stepped out of them. She then stood defiantly, proudly in front of him in her underwear.

Rick's eyes raked over her slowly, taking in every bit of skin. Michonne became even wetter than she was before. After his slow gaze, Rick moved into action. He brought his shirt over his head and then his pants and boxers came down at once. He stepped out of them, completely naked in front of her. Michonne's eyes landed on his manhood. It was completely erect. And a satisfying length. And it was all for her. Michonne unhooked her bra, threw it aside and then pushed her panties down. Michonne was expecting him to look over her slowly again but he wasted no time in pushing her backwards and onto one of the tables. He wasted no time in placing himself between her legs as she sat on the table.

Michonne held onto Rick's bicep as he pushed into her without delay. "Uhh!" Michonne grunted. He didn't give her time to process what was happening. He was pushing in and out of her quickly. Michonne looked at his face; he looked wild riding her. But she knew that he was there with her. He wasn't anywhere else. He needed this. Michonne knew that she wasn't the only one in camp who had gone awhile without sexual release. Rick had too. Not since his wife and her pregnancy.

Michonne's eyes closed, her head lolled to the side, and she let herself give over to the pleasure she was feeling.

"Huh, huh, huh." Rick grunted with each thrust. The grunts and thrusts becoming faster. Michonne felt herself about to climax but Rick slowed down. He must have been close too because he was breathing heavily. He wanted to go longer.

Michonne laid down onto her back, giving Rick full access to her body. Rick leaned over her and suckled on her neck, his full beard scratching and tickling her. "Ohh..." Michonne sighed. In the slow moments, she thought about how this might affect them but then Rick began to thrust again and she couldn't think anymore.

Leaning over her, Rick sank into her again and again. Making sure to push his full length in with each thrust. She was so wet! He hadn't had another woman since Lori. And they hadn't had sex in at least a year in a half! So as far as he knew, he was having the best sex of his life. "Gahhh," Rick growled, his arms propping himself above Michonne's body. He watched her breasts bounce wildly with his thrusts. His eyes went to his face and when he saw that her face reflected obvious pleasure, he felt excitement and pride. She let out a whimpering moan and he almost lost it. He stopped quickly. Still not wanting to end it just yet.

'Hold on, Michonne,' he thought again silently. 'Just let me do this. I need this.'

He picked Michonne's back up from the table so that she was sitting again and put her arms around his neck. She was now face-to-face with him. He thrust into her, looking right into her eyes. Her face ticked with pleasure at each thrust. "Ah!" she let out. Thrust. "Ah." Thrust. "Ah!" Thrust! "Ahh!" Thrust thrust thrust. "Ahhh!"

"Shh!" Rick warned.

Michonne held onto his shoulders and began to move her hips against him. It was now her that was controlling the pace. Rick tried to keep up. "Hah, hah, hah," Rick breathed. He knew there would be no stopping this time. Not if she had anything to say about it. He gripped her hips and lifted her slightly from the table, letting her ride quickly onto him.

"Rick, Rick, Rick," Michonne whispered, her face a mask of pleasure. This was it. This was it. She was coming! "Rick!"

She spasmed as she came. Rick felt his member being gripped again and again as she clenched and unclenched around him. This pulled his own orgasm from his body. Michonne fell backwards and his eyes rolled as he involuntarily thrust into her three more times as his pleasure wracked his body. The hot stream of his seed filled Michonne's body and added pleasure to the experience.

They shuddered together for a time. Michonne threw her hands over her face to hide her unguarded expression as she came down from her climax. Rick stayed inside of her until he managed to catch his breath. His eyes hooded from spent passion, he pulled away from her and went to gather his things. He dressed as Michonne continued to lie on the table, naked, spent and in her thoughts. When he was dressed, she finally stood up and began to get dressed herself. Rick waited until he heard her belt buckle close and then he motioned to the door.

"Let's go," he said. Rick hoped she wasn't going to want to talk about this. Because he sure didn't.

- Please review! I need them to live! :D


	2. Chapter 2: Apocalypse

- Please review guys. Let me know about any thoughts or suggestions that you have. -

Chapter Two: Apocalypse

Rick and Michonne walked back to the bus in silence. Initially, Rick hadn't wanted to talk about it but now he was wondering if that was the best option. Something had already changed in their relationship. Michonne was never one to run off at the mouth but when they had headed out this morning, she had definitely been more talkative than she was now; she had even made a couple of jokes. Now they were saying nothing to each other.

For the past mile or so, Rick had decided to let Michonne take the lead. He was trailing behind her. He was afraid to walk beside her because he didn't want to see what kind of expression she wore. 'She was responsive,' Rick kept telling himself, trying to ward off the guilt of pushing Michonne onto a table and grunting over her like a caveman. 'She liked it. The toughest woman in the world was squirming and mewling underneath you like a kitten.' Rick had to force himself not to get another erection at the thought but his unblocked view of Michonne's backside as she walked wasn't helping any. He cast his eyes away, feeling ashamed of himself. He was acting like a teenaged boy discovering sex for the first time.

'And yes, she was responsive,' Rick thought. 'But I ordered her. Did she even want to do that? Or did she feel like she had to?' Deciding that he had to say something, Rick stepped forward to walk beside Michonne. "...Are we okay?" he asked.

Michonne saw their bus appear when they turned the corner. Everyone was there. Glenn, Maggie, Daryl, Carol...She sighed and looked over at Rick. His hand was resting on the butt of his gun at his waist and his head was turned slightly downward. He wore that look he got when he was unsure about a judgment call. "...We're okay," Michonne said with a nod.

In reality, she didn't know what they were anymore. She definitely didn't hate what happened but what Rick had done had opened up some kind of floodgate within her. She was still feeling his touch from miles back. Between her legs...on her breast...Michonne released a breath. "I'm going to head to-" Michonne's sentence was cut short by a woman's scream.

"Help! Help! Somebody help me!"

Everyone sprang into action. Michonne pulled her sword, Glenn and Maggie hoisted their guns as did Abraham and Rosita as they moved to see who was approaching. Rick drew his gun and Daryl drew his crossbow. They went to the front of the group as the screaming woman came into view around the bus. Eugene and Carol hung back. Sasha had her hand on her knife, ready to strike if need be and Tyreese stayed over to the side with Judith. Carl had come around the bus so that he was behind the woman with his gun drawn as well.

The woman was holding onto a man who was barely conscious. She was being bowed over by his weight. She stopped in the center of everyone, breathing heavily and afraid. Her wide eyes went from person to person, all with weapons drawn on her or looking at her with doubt and hostility. "Please," she said. "My husband's been bit." Everyone became more tense and hoisted their weapons higher. "No, please," the woman said. "He can't turn. He can't turn. He won't turn. On his arm. You have to help him." She was slightly hysterical.

"He's been bitten?" Rick asked, pointing at the man with his weapon.

Trying to guard him with her small body, the woman looked at Rick with wide eyes. "No, please," she said. "Don't shoot him."

"Has he been bitten?!" Rick demanded.

Daryl walked forward and lifted the man's sleeve roughly, causing the man to groan. "It's a bite alright," Daryl said, stepping back to re-aim his weapon. "The man is bit. We gotta put him down."

The woman was crying now. "No. Please," she said again.

"We can cut his arm off," Carol said. "Save him like we did with Hershel."

"No. Not his arm. Please," the woman said.

"We have no other choice if you want him to live," Rick said. "We're wasting time. You want us to cut his arm off or kill him? It's gotta be one or the other."

"No!" the woman wailed. She dropped to her knees.

The man fell onto his knees as well, no longer supported by the woman. His eyes swam around the group, unfocused. "Please," he said. "Please. I don't wanna lose my arm." He fell onto his hands, trying to stay conscious. Seeing an opportunity, Michonne glanced at Rick. He nodded. With the go-ahead, Michonne stepped forward and, without any hesitation, she cut the man's arm off with her sword. He fell onto his back with a scream and then faded into unconsciousness.

"Nooo!" the woman wailed. She pushed to her feet and charged at Michonne.

"Grab her!" Rick yelled. Daryl caught the woman with one arm before she could reach Michonne, who still had her sword drawn. She was ashamed to say that if the woman would have come any closer, feeling threatened, she probably would have sliced her in two. The woman fought and sobbed hysterically for a few seconds until she passed out as well.

Everyone stood around in shocked silence. "Just another day in the world of an apocalypse," Glenn finally said before heading back onto the bus with Maggie.

"We should probably get him patched up before he bleeds to death," Rick said of the man on the ground. Michonne sheathed her sword and everyone else put their weapons away as well.

"Should we move on?" Abraham asked. "That girl's screaming probably trailed walkers from wherever this man got bit to here."

"Let's do it," Rick said. Everyone began to pile onto the bus. Rick looked around, realizing someone was missing. "Where's Gabriel?" he asked. Michonne looked around for the priest as well. He had decided to leave his church and come with them.

"He's here, on the bus," Abraham said, glancing inside. He shook his head. "I don't know if the man's gonna make it in this world."

Michonne and Rick stepped onto the bus. They saw that Gabriel was staring out the window soullessly. He had been like that since they headed out. Michonne sighed. She knew that she should feel sorry for him but she didn't. It was hard to feel sorry for anyone anymore. Everybody was going through the same shit. You either dealt with it or you didn't.

She was about to turn and sit down but she felt him behind her. Like he had been back there. At the school. His chest close. She immediately got turned on. 'Shit,' she thought. 'I do NOT need this. I need a clear head.' She moved forward. Away from Rick and toward the back of the bus. She sat in the seat in front of Father Gabriel. Propping one leg up onto the seat, she rested her head against the glass window behind her. 'Maybe I can take a nap and then when I wake up things will be back to normal again,' she thought.

Rick watched Michonne go. He knew she had felt him behind her. He noticed how she had tensed up. 'Now I can't even walk behind her without her running away from me?' Rick wondered. 'What have I done?' His eyes went to Carl, who had also watched Michonne go to the back of the bus. Right before their break, she had been sitting at the front with them. He hoped Carl wouldn't think she was avoiding him for anything. But Carl didn't seem to think it was anything strange. He shrugged and went back to reading a comic he had in his lap.

"What are we going to do with them?" Daryl asked, sitting in the front seat. He slung his crossbow off of his shoulder and placed it in the seat beside him. When he nodded toward the man Carol and Sasha were working on in the back and the unconscious woman, Rick understood who he was talking about. "Let's tie her up just in case she wakes up," Rick said. "And then we'll see. We'll probably need to drop 'em off somewhere." Daryl nodded.

Rick wasn't sure how much time had passed, probably a couple of hours, before he was being woken up by Carol. "What is it?" he asked, his voice raspy with sleep.

"I think we were too late in cutting his arm off," Carol said. "He's burning up and his fever's not coming down."

Rick stood up. He was awake now. A walker was on their bus. He went to the back and saw that the woman had woken up. She seemed calmer now. Her hands and feet were tied. She was glaring at Michonne who was frowning back. "Hey," he said, bringing the woman's attention to him. "You wanna look somewhere else?" It wasn't really a question. The woman scowled and looked at her husband instead of Michonne.

"Is he gonna be okay?" she asked.

"I don't think so," Sasha responded. "His fever's high. I think he's turning."

"Couldn't that just be a result of him getting his arm cut off?" the woman asked. "Maybe he's in shock or something! He's sweating a lot!"

Sasha shrugged and looked at Rick. "That is a possibility."

"We'll just wait and see," Rick said. "If he stops breathing, someone make sure it stays that way." Rick turned to walk away but the woman's voice stopped him.

"No," she said. She was no longer hysterical or crying, she was calm and her voice was hard. "I want to get off this bus. You can't tie me up and then decide what to do with _my _husband!"

Rick turned and tilted his head. He couldn't believe this woman. She had red hair, blue eyes, and looked to be around twenty-five. "You came to _us_," he said. "Asking _us _for help."

"Yeah, well, that was obviously a mistake." The woman tilted her chin up, feigning confidence.

Rick planted his hands on his hips. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Jessie," the woman responded.

"Yeah, well, Jessie," Rick said. "You understand that if he's been infected, he's gonna turn. And if he turns, you're either gonna have to kill him or let him kill you. You understand that right? Now we can let you off of this bus whenever you want. You just give us the word." Michonne could see the fear in the girl's blue eyes. "You wanna get off?" Rick asked.

The girl stood silent, obviously shaken. Michonne thought she wasn't going to respond at all until she blinked, tears forming in her eyes. Her chin trembled as she spoke. "I don't want him to die," she said shakily.

Rick nodded. He didn't have a response for that. The man was either going to die or he wasn't. "Sit down," he said, seeing that the girl clearly didn't want to go back out there by herself. Jessie sat and wiped her tears away with the thumbs of her tied hands. "Sasha, stay here and watch him," Rick instructed. "Michonne? Come with me."

Michonne stood from her seat and followed Rick to the front of the bus where Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, and Carl were already gathered. They formed a small huddle together. Michonne tried her best to ignore her proximity to Rick. "So what are we gonna do with 'em?" Daryl started off by asking.

"We may have to put the husband down," Rick said. "Jessie – she said her name was Jessie – depending on her mental state after that, we can see if she can stay with us and come to Washington or not. If she doesn't do anything rash or stupid, I don't see why not."

Maggie nodded. "I wouldn't feel comfortable sending her out there by herself," she said. "We can find out about her and then see if she can stay with us."

Rick nodded. Like always, he wasn't a big fan of putting a stranger amongst them but he didn't see much of a choice here. Sending a girl like that out there by herself was pretty much a death sentence. He turned to Michonne. "What you think?" He had learned a long time ago that Michonne had a knack for discerning people. If she didn't trust this girl, he would take it to heart.

Michonne shrugged. "I don't think she's a problem," she said. "She's a little too naïve though. Makes me wonder where she was and what she was doing before she came across us."

Rick nodded. He got that same feeling. Even the clothes she was wearing were still in pretty good condition. And she looked pretty clean. Not like she had been running around for months. Not like them. "Let's figure out where she came from," he said. He looked around the group. "Carol," he said, including the woman who was sitting near to them. "You talk to her. See what you can find out." Carol nodded and immediately began to go to the back of the bus.

"Good," Daryl said. "While ya'll figure that out I'm gonna get back to nappin'. Wake me up when I need to shoot somethin'." He sat down in his seat and threw his arm over his eyes. Rick put it into the back of his mind to talk to Daryl later about Beth. He knew Daryl felt guilty about losing her in the first place. When the rest of the group dispersed, Rick caught Michonne's arm before she could walk away.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked quietly.

Michonne followed Rick to a deserted spot in the middle of the bus. The only person around was Noah who seemed to be in a world all to himself. He had barely responded to all of the commotion happening around him. Michonne could only assume that he was grieving Beth and regretting that he had to leave her behind. "What is it?" she asked.

Rick stepped closer to her, trying to keep his voice low. She tried not to pull away. "I want you to keep an eye on Jessie," he said. "If her behavior causes you to suspect anything, you let me know." Michonne nodded.

"Of course," she responded.

Rick didn't move. He continued to hover over her. It seemed as if putting her on guard duty wasn't the only thing he wanted to talk to her about. After chewing on his words for a moment, he spoke. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "About what happened at the school. I wasn't really – thinking." He glanced into Michonne's eyes. She wasn't making this easier by giving him any kind of reaction to work from. She only frowned stoically as she studied him. "You know I respect you, right?"

Michonne nodded. "I know, Rick."

Wanting more, some assurance that their relationship wasn't going to suffer a blow from this, Rick hung around. But when it seemed as if she wasn't going to say anything else, he began to walk away.

"Rick," Michonne said. She caught his hand, before he could leave completely. He turned back to her and she let him go. "I respect you as well." Rick nodded, relieved to hear it. "And I'm not upset about what happened at the school," Michonne said. "You're a grown man. You have needs. As do I. We can just think of it as something that happened...in the heat of the moment...and move on. I won't let what happened affect what we have. And I won't let it hurt Carl." She had thought about it since entering the bus and this was the conclusion she had come up with.

Rick nodded. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. "It won't happen again," he said shortly before turning to make his way to the back of the bus once again. Michonne watched his hands as he walked away. Feeling them, firm and rough against her. 'It won't happen again.' Michonne sighed, hating that she was already missing something that could never be.

Rick cursed himself. No matter how much he had mentally berated himself about the act he had performed at the school, it wasn't until that moment that he realized he had been hoping for it to happen again. Now there was no point. She obviously didn't want it to and he had just made a promise that it wouldn't. He turned back to see Michonne going to talk to Carl about his comic. 'Well,' he thought. 'If me keeping my hands to myself is what I need to do for Carl, that's what has to happen.'

Carol met Rick on his way to the back of the bus. "She says she was with a group of people heading to a walled city when they were attacked by a herd," Carol whispered. "She thinks only her and her husband made it out."

"A walled city?" Rick asked. He turned and glanced back at Noah, who was looking out of the window. The kid had been talking about a walled city himself.

"You think this place could be something?" Carol asked.

Rick shrugged. After Terminus, the Governor, the C.D.C, and that hospital, he was beginning to think the group he was with now was the only one he could trust. "I don't know," he said. "First, we should follow the lead on this cure thing. I can't afford to focus on anything else."

Carol nodded. "Yeah," she said.

Rick nodded towards the man, who was sweating profusely now. "How's he doing? He doesn't look so good."

"Sasha says she's just waiting for him to stop breathing now," Carol said under her breath so that Jessie couldn't hear. "I don't think there's anything we can do for him except to wait it out."

A surprising wave of sympathy touched Rick's heart when he looked down at the red-haired young woman with big, blue eyes. He had stopped thinking he could feel much sympathy for strangers anymore. "When he dies," he said. "See if she wants to do it."

"And if she doesn't?" Carol asked.

"Take care of him quickly and quietly," Rick answered. He shut down whatever sympathy he had. He couldn't afford it if it would risk him his friends. "And throw her off the bus if she makes a fuss."

Jessie heard them talking. She twisted her wrists in the restraints but it only hurt her. They had tied her up with wire. And it was an expert knot too. She couldn't get free unless they wanted her to. Her eyes swept the group. For the one who tied her up, her money was on the crossbow wielding redneck. He seemed capable. And she had heard him talking to the gray-haired woman, Carol, before about the squirrels he had managed to bring back from hunting today. So he was a wilderness guy. She looked around some more, rehashing the other conclusions she had made about this group just from sitting and listening.

The girl with the brunette hair was dating the Asian and they were pretty serious. One wasn't going anywhere without the other. The young black kid seemed out of place, like he didn't quite belong. It didn't seem as if he knew the others very well.

Carol came back to tend to any scrapes and bruises Jessie had. As she worked, Jessie analyzed her. This woman was the caregiver of the group but judging from the weapons she was wearing and the surety of her hands, this woman was also someone capable in battle.

The priest in the back was a religious man who was currently weak in his spirit. The kid up front who was reading the comics also had a gun; Jessie didn't know yet whether he was proficient in the use of the weapon. Her eyes went to the dark woman with dreadlocks. The one who had cut off her husband's arm. She was serious business. The woman had a sword and knew how to use it. And the fact that she cut through bone without hesitation meant that she was willing to do whatever it took. Jessie didn't like her.

And then there was Rick. The leader. Everyone looked to him before they decided to so much as go outside and lower their trousers for a piss. It was clear he had everyone under control. And the people he looked to most were the crossbow wielding redneck, the dark samurai, and the deadly caregiver. 'Great,' Jessie thought. 'Just great.' She didn't know how she was going to use the information she was gathering; she was just gathering it for now. It may come in handy later.

Hours passed and then it was dark outside. There had been a small debate earlier about stepping outside to set up camp or staying in the bus and just eating some cold peas and beans from cans. No one seemed up to stepping out into the outside world for the night so staying inside the vehicle won out. During these hard times, the inside of a vehicle was still inside somewhere. And it was more comforting than out there. Jessie was glad the group made the decision they had. Carol put a spare blanket over her body and fed her from a cold can of carrots. A couple of more hours later and everyone was asleep somewhere on the bus except for Carol, Rick, Abraham and the samurai. Abraham was still driving (he was determined to get to Washington as quickly as possible), Carol was watching Jessie's husband to make sure he didn't turn, Rick was holding his sleeping daughter in his arms and was watching his son – who had fallen asleep on the samurai's lap, and the samurai was watching her. It gave Jessie chills how the woman didn't even bother to hide it. She just stared at her from where she was propped against the window at the front of the bus.

'I have to get them to the walled city,' Jessie thought. She knew she couldn't go back out in the world on her own. She needed protection. And right now these people were the only protection she had. She wasn't comfortable with them, though. If she could get them to the walled city, then at least she wouldn't be among people she didn't know. She wouldn't be outnumbered.

Jessie closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep, when Rick suddenly got up and went to place his baby in the baby seat Glenn had managed to find somewhere. They had fastened the seat securely on the floor of the bus between the front cushion and the first seat so that the car seat wouldn't go sliding here and there around curves. This had been more ingenuity from the crossbow-slinging redneck. Jessie glanced through her lashes, admiring how gentle he was being with the baby. 'This is really a complicated group,' Jessie thought, closing her eyes again.

Rick strapped Judith in and stroked her soft, angel hair. She was fast asleep and he knew she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. The girl should win a medal to be able to sleep so soundlessly during the end of the world. He checked the fasteners on the baby seat one more time to make sure Judith was safe from being jiggled around roughly in the baby seat before he stood up again.

"Hey," he whispered, going to Michonne. "You can go to sleep if you want. I'll watch her."

Michonne looked up at him. "It's okay," she said. "I couldn't go to sleep if I wanted to."

"Why?" Rick asked. "Are you worried about something?"

"No," Michonne answered. "It's just that...your son's got a big head." She looked down to where he was sleeping against her then looked back up at Rick with a tell-tale smile to show that she was joking.

Rick chuckled. One of the great things about her humor was that it always came when he least expected it and at a time when he most needed it. "Here," he said. Michonne and Rick gently laid Carl the other way onto the seat. Michonne stood and lifted his legs so that the whole seat was his. "Come this way," Rick said after Carl was settled. He went to the front, got a blanket and then grabbed the pillow he had been using from his seat. He laid them out on a seat for Michonne. She wore a barely-concealed smile as she watched him.

"A true gentleman," she said, sitting down. Thinking about something that had been on her mind for a while, Michonne asked. "Do you think Eugene really has a cure?" she asked Rick.

Rick stood in front of her with his hands on his hips. "I don't know," he said. He shook his head. He hated that he didn't know. "I sure hope he does."

"I'm starting to think that I should just stop hoping," Michonne said.

"Yeah...Me too," Rick admitted. "But then...I look at Judith and I know...That I can't stop hoping. Not ever. I gotta keep hoping for something better. For her."

Michonne nodded, a distant memory coming to her. "That's what I like about you, Rick," Michonne said softly, looking up at him. "You've never stopped fighting for your family. Not since day one. My boyfriend stopped." Rick became quiet; he had only ever heard her talk about her boyfriend on one other occasion. "I had a son. His name was Andre."

Rick was shocked. He sat down. He never would have imagined that Michonne had been a mother before all of this. He glanced at Carl. But she was great with Carl so it wasn't hard to see her in that role now. "I didn't know that," he said.

"That's because I didn't want to talk about it," Michonne said. "I wanted to leave it in the past." She looked at Rick with pain in her eyes and he knew that the next thing she was going to tell him was going to be difficult. "Mike, that was my boyfriend's name. He killed our son. He killed – Andre. Because he didn't think this world was fit for him. And then he killed himself. He just gave up. And then he was bit. And I let him turn. 'Cause he deserved it. _I _deserved it. For not seeing it sooner."

Rick put his arm around Michonne. He didn't say anything. He knew that he didn't need to. She didn't tell him that story so that he could say he was sorry. She told him so that she could share another part of herself. Rick saw what Michonne was doing. He saw her effort. To open up and get closer to people. And he appreciated it. He felt their trust and respect for each other growing with each new day and he wouldn't trade that for anything. It was precious.

Michonne turned her body to Rick's and hugged him back. It had been so long since she had shared something so simple as a hug with someone her own age. It was warm and strengthening. Rick held her tighter against him and Michonne's floodgates opened again. Those feelings started coming back. The memory of Rick's hands. All over her. 'Get away from him. Now,' Michonne told herself. But her body didn't listen. Her breathing grew deeper and her hand slid down. Down over his chest, his stomach, to the bulge in his pants.

Rick's bulge grew. "I thought you didn't want to do this again," he whispered raspily in her ear.

Michonne didn't say anything. There was nothing she could say. She was contradicting herself and she didn't care. She slid down to the floor of the bus and placed herself between Rick's knees. Rick's heart started pounding in his chest when he realized what she was about to do. He looked over to the seat beside them. Carl was still deep asleep.

Michonne's hands deftly unbuckled his pants and then she pulled him out. He was hard and his breathing was heavy and deep. Michonne wrapped her hand around the base of his penis and Rick gasped, trying hard to keep still. He watched her lean down and-

"Hey, Rick! Come here a minute!" Rick jumped, startled. Abraham was calling him from the driver's seat. Rick hurriedly stuffed himself back in, buckled up and when he stood, Michonne moved back onto the seat and laid down. She didn't want to be seen just in case Abraham was looking in the rearview mirror.

"Coming," Rick called back in a whisper. He threw one last regretful look back at Michonne and then he walked stiffly to the front of the bus where Abraham drew him into a discussion about routes and plans.

Michonne closed her eyes tightly. She was embarrassed. 'Hopefully, tomorrow I can wake up and forget I even tried to go down on Rick Grimes,' she thought to herself as she turned over to get some sleep on the makeshift bed that the self-same man had constructed for her.

When she woke up the following morning, Michonne had no such luck, though. Every time she turned around Rick was looking at her with a smug sort of smirk on his face. They all stepped off the bus at one point to stretch their legs and collect more gas for the vehicle (Glenn went into the nearest town with Maggie), and Michonne was leaning against the side of the bus. She was talking to Carl about how one issue of the classic Superman was impossible to find when Rick walked up to them.

"Hey, Carl," Rick said. "Can you go make sure all the guns are loaded and accounted for?"

"Yeah, sure," Carl said, running off. "I'll be back, Michonne."

When he was gone, Rick stood in front of Michonne with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face. He looked as if he wanted to gloat. Michonne rolled her eyes. 'You almost go down on a guy _one _time,' she thought. "What?" she asked.

"You doing okay today?" Rick asked, her sharp question not throwing him off his game. Michonne stared at him. The man was barely hiding a grin. He was definitely gloating.

"Oh, screw you, Rick," Michonne said.

"Oh, I'm sure you want to," Rick responded. "There's no doubt about that."

Michonne couldn't hold her own smile back any longer. She chuckled and shook her head. "Shut up," she said. She reached her hand out and touched his beard. "Why haven't you used that razor I gave you?" she asked. "You look rough."

"You seem to like it," Rick said, continuing to flirt.

Michonne shifted on her feet, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, well, I don't," she said.

"Well, we'll just have to see," Rick said, looking around before coming back to her eyes. "You wanna go somewhere for a little while?" he asked.

Michonne knew what he was asking. "We can't do this, Rick."

"Why not?" Rick asked. "You said it before – You said that we both have needs. We don't have to make this some serious, complicated thing. It can be just as simple as it sounds. No one needs to know."

Michonne leaned back against the bus again and glanced into Rick's eyes. Could it really just be that simple? It couldn't, could it?

"Dad! Dad!" Michonne was pulled out of her thoughts when Carl came running back around the bus. "Dad! One of the guns is missing!"

Michonne immediately pushed away from the bus, alert. Rick put his hand on the gun at his hip. "Just one?" he asked Carl.

Carl nodded.

"Okay," Rick said, looking around and sweeping the people in the area. "Who's miss-" A gunshot rang out from inside the bus. Michonne pulled her sword and ran into the bus, right behind Rick. Just as Glenn said before, just another day in the world of an apocalypse.

- Things are gonna get pretty complicated and conflicted for Rick and Michonne pretty soon. Let me know what you think. I wanna know if I'm writing something interesting. :D That way I can keep going. -


	3. Chapter 3: Pressure

- Thanks everyone for the reviews! I am happy to continue! -

Chapter Three: Pressure

Rick was buried inside of her once again. Their breaths fell heavy and temporary on the night air as they ground together. Her back was against a tree and they were both naked from the waist down. It hadn't been planned. It hadn't been a slow, simmering burn. It had been a sudden burst of need.

"God!" A rough, utterance escaped Michonne's lips as Rick hit a particularly pleasurable spot. With one of her legs held by Rick, she struggled to stay upright on the one foot touching the ground. She gripped Rick's shoulders tighter. Rick moved to cover her lips with his own but Michonne turned her cheek to him. She knew that if they were to bring kissing into this, it would open up a whole new level of intimacy and dependency for her. A level she wasn't ready for just yet. Not yet. Not with Rick.

Undeterred, Rick suckled at her neck, never letting up with the pace he had set. He closed his eyes and let his head hang forward, his forehead touching the bark of the tree. This warmth. This togetherness. It was what he needed. He lost himself in the feel of being enveloped tightly inside of her.

There was no hope. He was grinding out the thoughts.

There was no cure. He was grinding out his anger.

There was nothing. But this. The pace of his thrusts grew faster.

Michonne closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, accepting the full intensity of Rick Grimes. After learning the horrible truth, he had looked defeated. He had glanced her way and then wandered into the woods. She had followed him because she knew he needed her. After following him in silence for fifteen minutes, he had turned, pushed her against a tree and it had led to this. Their pants and boots lay at their feet as they brought their pelvises together again and again.

Michonne lifted her other leg and placed it around his waist so that now only Rick and the tree behind her were the only things giving her support. Gripping her hips, Rick took the opportunity to slow down. He slowly thrust into her hard and deep. "Michonne..." Rick growled out softly. He was tired and worn out. Michonne hugged him close.

"Lie down, Rick," she whispered. Rick put her on her feet and laid on his back. His member still hard, Michonne lowered herself onto him. She sighed as he filled her once again. In the middle of the woods, on the forest floor, she began to move on top of him. Slowly at first. Rick gripped her hips and watched in lust-filled awe as she undulated on top of him, rolling her body to elicit the most pleasure for both of them.

When she began to go faster, Rick kept one hand on her waist and put one on the forest floor. Gripping the earth, leaves, whatever he could get a hand on, trying to hold on. "Oh, oh God," he groaned. His husky voice urged Michonne to give him more. She fell forward, one hand on his chest and the other in the dirt. Moans began to come from her throat but she tried to keep them as quiet as possible. The woods were never safe. She had to be careful of walkers.

Rick widened his legs and raised his knees, pushing upward into her as she came down onto him. Michonne gripped the shirt on his chest and Rick abandoned the dirt, reaching up with both hands to grab onto Michonne's clothed breasts. "Mm! Mm! Aah!" A shuddering climax hit Rick and Michonne once again.

"Hah...Hah..." Michonne released Rick's shirt with a shaky hand and allowed herself to ride out the spasms. Rick let his hands fall back down to his sides as he breathed heavily, spent. With a lack of energy, Michonne fell forward onto his chest. They lay there like that for a while, coming down from it all. Michonne lying atop him and Rick's arms around her. When they managed to catch their breath, Michonne moved off of him.

They both stood and silently began to put their pants and shoes back on. With not another word between them, they went back to the camp. Michonne wasn't entirely surprised when Rick spotted Abraham's group around a campfire and went up to Eugene with his gun drawn. "Tell me why I shouldn't put a bullet through your skull right now," he drawled.

The people who were outside all stood, shocked. Ready to pick a side when action went down. Glenn, Maggie and Daryl all got their hands on a weapon, ready to defend Rick. Abraham and Rosita stood, ready to defend Eugene. "What the hell is this about?" Abraham asked, his hand on the machine gun at his side. Eugene sat, terrified, with his hands in the air.

"There never was a cure for this thing, was there?" Rick asked. "You don't know a damn thing about how this all started."

With the heavy accusation out there, everyone turned slowly to look at Eugene.

"Just what the hell is this about?!" Abraham demanded again, raising his gun.

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Hours Earlier

Michonne and Rick walked onto the bus to see the brains of Jessie's husband spattered against the back window. Jessie was still standing with the gun aimed at him. Rick assessed the scene; he turned to see Carol standing at the front of the bus. Ignoring the other people who had run onto the bus to see what had happened, Rick walked forward to take the gun. He took it none too gently. "Give me that," he growled.

"Carol, did you give her this gun?" he asked.

"I didn't even know she had it," Carol said from where she stood at the front. She held the blanket she had covered the woman with last night in one hand and a baby's bottle in the other. It seemed she had been putting it back where it came from and stopping to check on Judith in the meantime. Right on cue, Judith opened her mouth and let out a strong wail due to being startled by the gunshot. "Shh, shh," Carol said, bending down to pick her up.

Rick turned back to look at Jessie. She was still staring at the remains of her husband with tears in her eyes. "Where did you get this gun?" Rick asked her. When she didn't answer, he moved forward and forcefully turned her head to look at him. "Where did you get this gun?" he asked again. He thought he wasn't going to get an answer again but the young redhead swallowed and spoke up.

"I took it," she said. "When you all were talking yesterday."

'Great.' Rick shifted on his feet, upset that he had let this get past him. If she got the gun yesterday, that meant she had gone unnoticed with it for much too long.

"The bag of guns was near me when everyone gathered at the front of the bus to talk," Jessie said, noticing how upset Rick had gotten. "I took one, you know...Just in case." Rick faced her with an angry stare and she continued. "Look, I don't know you people, okay? I had to be safe! You were talking about killing my husband right in front of me!"

"Well, you did a pretty good job of that all on your own," Daryl supplied from his spot on the steps of the bus.

"Look," Carol said, trying to get everyone to calm down. "I noticed the guns were near her when I went back there. I moved them and counted them quickly; I thought they were all there. This is my fault."

"Nobody got hurt!" Jessie yelled. "I only had it just in case! I wasn't going to use it against anybody!" They were all looking at her like she was their enemy now and she knew she had to do something to get out of this sticky situation. "Then he stopped breathing," she said, indicating her husband. "And he came back almost immediately! I've never seen it happen that fast! I just- I panicked! And I shot him! I thought that's what I was supposed to do!"

"You weren't supposed to have a gun at all," Rick retorted. But Jessie noticed that he no longer had the gun hoisted as if he needed to guard against her. "Carol," he said. "Take this back to Carl and put the extra guns away again. Daryl, come with me and let's talk about some things me and Abraham discussed last night. Maggie and Glenn, come take care of him." Jessie stood with bated breath, waiting to know her fate. "Michonne," he said, looking at Jessie. "Watch her."

Jessie let out a breath of relief. Safe for now. She wasn't being killed or abandoned just yet. She sat back down and glanced at Michonne as Maggie and Glenn came through muttering something about clean-up duty. The warrior woman had her hands on her hips and a glare on her face. Jessie knew if she did anything, she wouldn't be living past the night. 'I'll just have to be careful,' Jessie thought.

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The bus was quiet as they moved on later that day. Maggie and Glenn had done a pretty good job of cleaning up after the mess Jessie had created. There was barely any lingering smell of death. And no more brain matter covered the seats. Jessie glanced up to see Michonne standing over her, leaning against one of the seats across from her. The woman hadn't sat down since she had been told to keep an eye on her. Jessie had been hoping that Carol would be the one to come back here and watch over her once again but it didn't seem like that was going to be the case. Rick and Carl were busy going over plans with the crossbow guy, Daryl, at the front so they weren't going to keep the dark woman preoccupied like they had yesterday. 'I guess I'll just have to try to get something out of her,' Jessie thought. 'I have to get them to the walled city.'

"Where are we headed?" Jessie asked quietly. She wasn't surprised when the woman, Michonne, only gave her a look and no response. "I notice some of the landmarks," Jessie said. "We're on our way to...Washington?"

Michonne sent a sharp glare Jessie's way.

"I don't know for sure," Jessie said. "But if we are...I can already tell you that it's a waste of time."

Michonne wasn't planning to respond because she knew it was unwise to talk to prisoners. "Want to know why?" Jessie asked.

Silence.

"Because I come from Washington." Jessie looked up to see that Michonne was listening even though she was doing a good job of letting this be a one-sided conversation. "And if you think there are going to be some answers there because it's, like, government central or something...You're wrong. They couldn't even protect the president and then it all went to shit. Riots. Chaos. Washington may have been one of the first cities that went down..."

Jessie looked over at the woman's stoic expression. "All hope isn't lost though," she said. "There's a city right outside of Washington. It's where my husband and I were headed before we ran into that herd. The place is safe."

Michonne rolled her eyes and finally spoke. "Nowhere is safe."

"...Can I speak to Rick?" Jessie asked. She wasn't going to get anywhere with this dark woman. She needed to speak to the leader. The woman didn't respond and Jessie thought she was going to be ignored but Michonne pushed off of the seat she was leaning against and went to Rick at the front of the bus.

Rick looked up from the map that the guys were gathered around. "She wants to talk to you," Michonne said. Rick looked from Michonne to Jessie.

"...We'll finish this up later," Rick said to the group gathered around the map.

"Be careful," Michonne said as he passed her. "She's perceptive." Rick paused to look back at her. "And smart."

"You think she'll be trouble?" Rick asked.

"Not yet..." Michonne responded.

Rick headed to the back and Michonne watched him go.

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"So you think going to Washington is a mistake," Rick said. He was knelt on the floor of the bus so that he could be eye-to-eye with the girl. "And what makes you think I would take your opinion into consideration?"

Jessie tilted her head. The man had a way with words, getting straight to the point. "Every government facility is shut down there!" she said. "They've been overrun! I left there for a reason! Now I don't know why you want to go there now, but I can tell you...If you keep heading that way, I would like to be let off right before we reach the city limits. I'd have a better chance of survival that way."

Rick scoffed. "What were you before all of this?" he asked.

"I was going to school," Jessie responded. "To be a psychologist." She twisted her wrists. Rick looked down to see that the wire was starting to cut into her skin. He lifted the legs of her jeans to see that her ankles were getting the same rough treatment.

"How many walkers have you killed?" Rick asked.

"Uhh..." Jessie thought. "About twenty?" she shrugged and then thought of her husband. "Well...twenty-one now."

"Twenty-one..." Rick said thoughtfully. "Pretty meager number. How many people have you killed?"

"What does this have to do with Washington?" Jessie asked.

"Just answer the question." Jessie looked into Rick's eyes. He was watching every move she made closely. Every blink of an eyelash. These questions mattered somehow.

"Um...One?" Jessie answered.

"Why?" Rick asked.

Jessie cleared her throat. "He was holding me hostage." She stared steadily into Rick's eyes. "What were _you_?" she finally asked after a moment of silence. "Before all of this, I mean. Were you a cop or something?"

Slightly surprised by her accurate guess, Rick looked toward Michonne. She had been right. The girl was perceptive. And smart. "Or something," Rick said, turning back to her. "So this walled city you're telling me about..." he got back onto the subject they started on. "You say you were heading there? How did you find out about it? I haven't seen any signs."

Jessie looked down. "My husband," she answered. "We weren't in the same place when all of this happened. It wasn't until a few months ago that we found each other again. He told me that he came from this place. Looking for me. He said it was safe. He was taking us there when...when it happened."

Rick nodded, still studying Jessie. "Where were _you_?" he asked. "Before your husband came to get you? And where did you two hole up after that?" His eyes grazed over her barely soiled outfit. "It doesn't look like you've been exactly slumming it."

Jessie looked down at her outfit as well. "The group I was with..." Jessie said. "We stayed underground. In a subway station. Once they cleared it, it was pretty safe. Only so many entrances, underground, you know? And I just mostly stayed there...Other people...they went out and got supplies...scavenged...Risked their lives. And when my husband found us, he stayed down there with us for a while. Until he could finally convince the whole group to head toward this safe city with him. He finally convinced us that living above ground was better than living underground. He said we could make lives for ourselves again. We believed him. That was three weeks ago." Jessie looked down. "Now they're all dead."

"...Huh..." Rick said. He stood up and looked toward the front of the bus for a moment. Then he moved over to the seat across from Jessie and sat. He put his elbows on his knees and studied her for a moment.

"So...did I pass the test?" Jessie asked.

"I'm still figuring it out," Rick said honestly. Jessie looked back ahead. That was better than nothing. She fidgeted her hands again, trying to deal with the pain that was becoming less ignorable in her wrists.

"I guess that's better than failing," Jessie responded.

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Michonne watched Jessie and Rick and felt the twisting in her stomach that usually warned that something wasn't right. Michonne frowned, trying to understand it when she felt someone tap her on the back of the hand. She smiled when she saw that it was Carl. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Watching out for your dad," she said. "Sometimes he needs it."

Carl smiled. "Tell me about it!" He looked back towards his dad at well. "But I don't think you need to worry about him. He can take care of himself."

"Yeah," Michonne said. She looked back to see that Glenn and Daryl had moved back to their places on the bus along with Carl. "So what have you men figured out?" she asked. "What route are we taking to make sure us little ladies stay safe?"

Carl chuckled. One, because Michonne had called him a man and also because she was anything but a "little lady" who needed to be kept safe. "We're gonna stop to camp tonight," Carl responded. "And that's where we'll let everyone in on the plan."

Michonne raised her hands in surrender. "I see," she said. "So you're saying I'm gonna have to wait to find out, huh?" Carl smiled. "Well, then...Maybe I should also wait to tell you a secret." Michonne smiled when she saw that the smirk had been wiped off of Carl's face, replaced with an expression of curiosity and interest. "I already told Judith," she said, to plant the seed a little deeper. "She wants me to continue to keep it from you."

Carl laughed. "Oh, yeah right. She doesn't even speak yet."

"Maybe not to you!" Carl laughed again. In a lot of ways, Michonne was the funniest woman he knew.

"Okay. How about this?" Carl said. "You tell me the secret and I'll let you in on one part of the plan."

"Why not all of it?" Michonne shot back.

Carl responded. "'Cause I can't tell you everything!"

"But I'm telling you the whole secret!" she said. Carl shrugged. Michonne smiled and sat down. "Well, it looks like we're just gonna be at a standstill," she said. "How about we read while we wait for one of us to crack?" She picked up the comic book that Carl had been reading.

"Cool," he responded. "And let's pick parts!"

"Okay," Michonne said. "Get ready to crack."

"You're gonna tell me the secret first," Carl dared.

"I don't think so," Michonne said, opening the book with a small laugh. They settled in for the next few hours.

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Jessie watched Michonne's interaction with Rick's son with interest. The only time she saw the woman soften up like that was with the kid. She stopped watching them when she noticed Rick studying her from across the aisle again. The bus stopped and she knew the group was about to stop to make camp. It was about to grow dark outside. When Rick began to stand up, Jessie stopped him. "Wait-" she said. "Please."

He turned to look back at her. She moved her wrists. "I know you don't trust me enough to free me just yet but...can you...help me with these? Please? It's starting to become unbearable."

Rick looked at her silently for another moment and then continued on his way. Jessie's heart sank. She thought she had read him right but she must have read him wrong. She was about to sit back and try to will her pain away when someone caught her wrists and brought them up to cut the wire with a knife. Her eyes went to Rick's face, surprised. He then bent down and cut her ankles loose. Jessie gently rubbed one wrist with her hand. The wire had broken skin. She had a few cuts. "Try anything and you won't win," Rick said. "You've seen our weapons."

He stood and gestured for her to step out in front of him. She hesitated but she stood up and followed the group out of the bus. Everyone began to go about their normal camping routines and Jessie stood on the sidelines, not knowing where to go. She watched Rick head over to where Abraham, Eugene, and Rosita were sitting.

"Rick!" Abraham welcomed loudly. He cracked open a can of stale beer that Glenn had managed to find in one of the towns they passed. "You wanna sit down and have a few?" Rosita smiled up at him with her own can of stale beer in her hand. Eugene was sitting stiffly and poking at the fire.

"You think you should be drinking?" Rick asked. "We're still quite a few miles from Washington."

"Oh, hell," Abraham said. "This ain't gon' get me drunk," Abraham said. "Might as well be water." He laughed. "Besides," he said. "Glenn volunteered to take over driving duty tomorrow. I figured I'd be too busy skipping to the Capitol to be able to sit still at the wheel for too long." Rick chuckled. He could tell that Abraham was in a really great mood. "Eugene's gonna roll up to the gates of Washington, posture himself on the lawn, and yell out... 'Don't worry, world! You all are safe! I got the cure!'"

Rick chuckled again. But this time one was weaker than the first. Rick's eyes went to Eugene who was still stiffly poking at the fire. His shoulders were touching his ears. It was obvious the man was tense. "Have we figured out how we're gonna get Eugene to this super secret place that he needs to go?" Rick asked.

"Yeah," Abraham said. "Gather everybody and we'll tell you about it."

Rick nodded. "Okay." We started back to do just that when he Jessie caused him to pause.

"So that's why you're going to Washington," she said. "This guy says he has a cure."

"Why?" Rick asked. "You don't believe him?"

"No," Jessie answered. "Do you?" She paused for a minute. "Oh yeah. My opinion doesn't matter though, does it?"

Rick decided not to respond. He started to walk away. "I know he's lying," Jessie said, stopping him. Rick didn't ask how but the fact that he walked back to her again gave Jessie reason enough to explain. "Remember when I said I came from Washington? Trust me when I say no part of Washington has survived. There _is _no secret facility with a higher up government holed up there waiting to hear a cure. It's just as bad there as it is everywhere else. We _have _to go to the walled city. Washington is overrun. It's a death trap."

"How do you know some secret facility didn't stay intact?" Rick asked. "It's not like you're government."

"No," Jessie said. "I'm not. But I'm not a clueless hopeful either. I know what I saw. And I know what I'm seeing!" She pointed at Eugene's slumped shoulders and sweating face. "Washington is...hopeless. Trust me. There is no cure. Your boy is lying."

Rick's eyes went over to study Eugene once more. He was more tense and quiet. And he had been getting more tense and quiet with each passing mile now that Rick thought about it. Hating the suspicion that was growing in his gut, Rick looked to Judith, who was being held by Tyreese. If this cure thing was all a lie...If he was leading them on one more fool's errand...He rubbed his fingers together anxiously. He then turned to head into the woods. He needed to get away. From everything. He glanced over and saw Michonne standing nearby the vehicle in the shadows. She must have heard everything. He kept going. And he was relieved when he heard Michonne following him.

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Present

"There never was a cure, was there?!" Rick demanded again.

Abraham aimed his weapon and deepened his voice to a serious level. "You put the gun down, Rick."

"Why don't you put it down?" Daryl said, pointing his crossbow at Abraham.

"Guys, calm down," Glenn said. "Let's talk about this."

"Answer me, Eugene," Rick said. "Is there a cure?"

Eugene looked back and forth. Looking for a way out. Everyone turned to look at him. He seemed to draw in on himself. "I- I- I just wanted to survive," Eugene said. "You've – You've all seen me. I can't fight. I can't shoot. Hell, I can't even hold a weapon. All I've got is my smarts. And I used them to -" he glanced up at Abraham guiltily. "To make up this cock-and-bull story to get Abraham to protect me."

The result of the statement was palpable. It was as if a dark, heavy cloud dropped over the whole group. Rick lowered his gun and stepped back, in shock. Abraham was frozen. And so was everyone else.

"I never knew he'd take it so seriously," Eugene said. "I just figured you'd get me to a safe place," he was talking to Abraham now. "And we could settle there. I never expected you to-"

"Ahh!" Abraham dropped his gun and charged at Eugene. Glenn and Daryl rushed forward to try to hold Abraham back and Rick had the frame of mind to step in between Eugene and Abraham. "You-! You-! How could you?!" Abraham yelled. "You lied?! This whole thing was a lie?!"

Michonne shook her head. She felt disappointed but she couldn't say that she was surprised. She had had her doubts anyway.

"You have to believe me," Eugene said, trembling from behind Rick. "I never meant for it to go this far. I just – I just wanted to survive. I – I needed your help to do that."

"Ahh!" Abraham growled again and threw Glenn and Daryl off of him. They all blocked his path to Eugene. Abraham paced back and forth for a moment like a caged animal and then he threw his drink. "GODDAMNIT!" He paced in a circle again and then he went silent. Still. Before turning around and walking into the forest.

"I'm gonna go...check on him," Rosita said, following after him.

With him gone, Rick's own disappointment and despair soaked in. He looked at Eugene and shook his head. He walked away silently, not wanting to say or do anything that he might regret later. He headed back onto the bus. Michonne followed after him.

"I'm...sorry..." Jessie said before he stepped on.

"Not your fault," Rick said, not looking at her. He continued onto the bus.

"What do we do now?" Michonne heard Maggie ask.

"Wait for Rick," Glenn responded. "He'll figure something out."

At that moment, Michonne didn't envy Rick's position. As leader of this group, the pressure he must feel must be crushing.

- Thanks guys for the reviews! Madison188, I know that Michonne doesn't just follow orders blindly. I didn't mean for it to come off that way. I just wanted to show her loyalty in a sort of...different way. And she didn't exactly NOT want to do it. Thanks for the long review! I loved it! And I added the scene with Michonne and Carl just for you! It is very important that I keep their relationship very present in this fic. -


	4. Chapter 4: Forward

- So glad you guys are liking the story so far! Continue to give me reviews please, good or bad, I take them all in! Alex311, thank you for the long review! Gentleness in the face of continuous harshness is really where I want to take this and it may take a little while for Michonne and Rick to really get there even though they've both made great strides. One, because both Rick and Michonne still have a ways to go in opening up completely and allowing themselves to fully connect with someone again. And two, because they have already built up this great platonic relationship that both are kind of afraid to part with, take to the next level, and call something else just yet.

And yes...They are going to face complications. Whether they come in the form of Jessie,

someone else, or some_thing _else well...we'll just have to see. Stay with me and find out. :D -

Chapter Four: Forward

"What are you thinking?" Michonne asked. He had just walked to the middle of the bus, sat down, and stayed that way for a few minutes now. Michonne stood with her back leaning against the cushion of the seat in front of him. When he didn't respond, Michonne realized what she thought earlier had been wrong. She could still feel sympathy for someone. "When will your face turn into one that isn't apologetic?" she asked. "None of this is your fault, you know."

"I think we're running out of options," Rick responded. "I keep dragging us around on these fool errands. Maybe it's time that we should just...stop."

"You're not the only one who wanted to see if this cure was legit," Michonne reasoned. "_Everyone _wanted to go to Washington. It's just something we had to do. Like Terminus."

"Yeah, and look how that turned out," Rick said. He turned and looked out of the window, mostly just to keep his eyes busy. He didn't even know what to focus on anymore. "I don't know what our next move should be. We're running out of options."

Michonne hesitated before speaking. "We have something..." she said quietly. Rick looked up at her. "The walled city," Michonne explained.

Rick squinted. "You think we should try it? After Terminus and everything, I – I don't know..."

"I don't know either," Michonne said honestly. "But it's something."

"What if it's another dead end?" Rick asked. "I don't think the group out there can stand many more letdowns before they...give up believing in something."

"The group?" Michonne asked. "Or you?" She tapped the toe of Rick's shoe with her own. "Even if that walled city _does _turn out to be another lie," Michonne said. "It won't matter. It's not hopeless. You still have me." Rick's eyes met her own. "You have Carl, Judith, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, Carol, Tyreese, Sasha...We can make a home for ourselves no matter where we are as long as we're together. And as long as we keep fighting."

Rick sat, admiring the woman before him. She really had come a long way since they had first met. "You're an amazing woman, you know that?" Rick asked.

Michonne smiled. "You're lucky to have me," she affirmed.

"I know," Rick said. The way he was staring at her made Michonne start to feel self-conscious.

Rick was starting to realize more and more just how lucky he was. He reached for her. "You should get some rest," Michonne said, stepping away. "Everyone's gonna wanna talk about what to do tomorrow."

Rick sighed and let his arms fall to his lap, feeling empty. "I'll talk to both Jessie and Noah tomorrow," Rick said. "See if I can find out anymore about this place."

Michonne nodded. "Will you be sleeping in here?"

"I think so," Rick replied. He didn't really want to face everybody else just yet. Not feeling very confident due to her last rejection, Rick thought he would try anyway. "You wanna stay here with me?"

Michonne squinted and shook her head. "No," she said softly. "...I think I'm gonna go check on Abraham and Rosita. See if everything's okay."

Rick nodded, trying not to show his disappointment. "Take Glenn or somebody with you," he said.

Michonne hesitated for a moment, feeling like she should say something else but then she thought better of it. She turned on her heel and left.

Rick closed his eyes and sighed. The look she had given him before refusing his offer hadn't been very reassuring. It seemed as if she was questioning why he would even ask her to stay in the first place. 'Am I treating this as more than it is?' he wondered. 'I did say that we should be two adults about this but – I figured after the second time...' He shook his head. 'I'm definitely reading too much into this. She probably feels like I'm asking her to marry me.'

"God," he said, rubbing his eyes. He was embarrassed to perceive himself as coming off so needy. It was never supposed to be that way. They were two people who needed each other. That was it. He pulled his hand away and the glint of the moonlight streaming in through the window hit his wedding band. A sharp, constricted pain hit his heart.

'Lori...' he thought. For a second he had forgotten. It was becoming more of a decided effort each day to conjure her image in his mind where before, she had come unbidden like a gentle wind. That scared him. 'I won't give up on protecting what we had together,' he thought. 'The children are what matter. I have to keep going forward.'

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Michonne went into the woods with Daryl. He had just been heading to the bus to see how Rick was doing when she had stepped off and told him that Rick seemed to need some alone time. They stepped quietly on the carpet of the forest, alert.

"So, what you think about all this?" Daryl asked, his crossbow hoisted and ready to fire at anything that may be threatening. "Eugene and the cure?"

Michonne shrugged. "I don't think I ever really believed it," she said. "Just hoped that for once someone wasn't full of shit. You?"

"Same," Daryl responded. He was quiet for a moment. "So are we gonna try for that city that the Noah kid and the redhead were talkin' about?"

"Rick's thinking about it," Michonne said. "I don't see what else we could do at this point..."

"Bullshit!" Daryl said. "I say we should just settle down somewhere and fortify. It's clear that there's no help out there to stop this thing so we need to stop lookin' for it and runnin' up on places, expectin' it to be any different than the one before. We need to make our _own _town."

"Well. Tell me how you really feel," Michonne said sarcastically.

"What? You don't think it's a good idea?" Daryl asked. The question was equal bits defensive and apologetic. Michonne smirked. Daryl put on a tough show but she could tell that his deepest longing was to be liked and appreciated. She was just surprised that he still didn't know his value yet.

"I think it's a fine idea," Michonne said. "But coming across an already fully functioning town would be nicer." She smiled over at Daryl to show him that she wasn't being facetious. "I mean," she continued. "Who among us has the know-how to be an architect? I'm assuming you mean that we build our own homes, yes?"

"Shit," Daryl said. "It shouldn't be too hard to figure out! Just four walls and a roof! We could just find a way to fashion some logs together and then that's that! Tyreese and Abraham are the muscle; they can carry stuff."

Michonne chuckled at how invested Daryl was getting into this conversation they were having. Daryl stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out if she was laughing at him or not. To show him that she was still with him, Michonne nodded. It wasn't a bad idea at all. She just didn't want the group to be at that point yet. "They could be the carpenters," Michonne agreed. She decided to engage in the discussion and the imagery to pass the time. "It would have to be somewhere high up and near water. To discourage the walkers."

"Of course!" Daryl said. "Or at least discourage them long enough for us to build up some kind of defenses against them if a herd were to come through."

"We could have guards," Michonne said. "You and me." She glanced over to see that Daryl finally was showing a small smile. He was starting to find fun in the discussion as well.

"Rick could be the governor-" Michonne stopped and glared at Daryl, who caught himself. "Not the governor," he said. He began walking again, after pausing himself and feeling pretty ridiculous. "I was just trying to think of some other title besides president 'cause that's pretty dumb."

"Senator," Michonne amended.

Daryl nodded. "We could call the town...Grimesville or somethin'," he chuckled.

"I think Dixonville sounds better," Michonne said. When Daryl gave her a tight-lipped smile she shrugged. "The town was your idea," she explained. "You should claim it."

"Mm," Daryl said, shrugging off the compliment. He then chuckled causing Michonne to look over at him. "I was just thinkin'," Daryl said. "About how Rick would react to being called 'president'."

Finding it comical as well, Michonne chuckled too. "He'd hate it," she admitted.

They were silent for a moment as their chuckles died on the wind. "Do you really think it's impossible?" Daryl asked after a moment.

"No," Michonne said. "It's not impossible."

Daryl shrugged, glad that his idea wasn't completely stupid. "Yeah," he said. "It's whatever though. I'm with Rick whatever he does. Beth was always going on about how there still had to be good people in this world. Maybe she was right. Maybe this walled city is them."

"Maybe," Michonne said. "But you should still mention Dixonville to Rick though," she said with a playful smirk. "It can be our backup plan. He'd probably take it into consideration; he listens to you, you know."

"Nah, not really," Daryl said abashedly.

"Yeah, really," Michonne said. "He trusts you more than anybody."

"I don't know," Daryl replied. To get the attention off of himself, he turned the conversation around to Michonne. "I've seen the way you've been with him and Carl lately. Ya'll look like a damn family. Maybe _you _should be the one to bring up any kind of town buildin'. Seein' as you might be the First Lady."

Michonne smiled through whatever tension she felt. It all sounded so ridiculous. "Nah," she said. "We've just grown to trust each other more. We've all lost a lot so...we need each other. Carl especially. Besides, he doesn't need a "first lady" he just needs...someone who understands him and who he can bounce ideas off of. That's you."

"Yeah, but I don't think I'd be a very good bed buddy," Daryl responded casually.

Michonne stopped in her tracks. "Do you know somethin'?" she asked suspiciously.

Daryl stopped too. "Noo..." he said, confused. "Why? Are you-?" Comprehension dawned on Daryl's face and Michonne knew she had made a mistake. Been too obvious. "No way!" Daryl said. "Are you and Rick knockin' boots?"

Michonne wished he would have said anything other than "knockin' boots". She rolled her eyes, frustrated to have let herself be found out so easily. Knowing she couldn't deny it, and not wanting to talk about it she turned and moved forward again. "Let's keep looking for Abraham," she said.

Stunned and bemused, Daryl followed behind her. He could tell that the two had grown significantly closer lately, but he would be lying if he said this didn't come as a surprise. He had been beginning to think that Rick would never think of another woman that way after Lori. 'But then again,' Daryl thought. 'What the hell do I know?'

A rustling sound emerged from the woods behind them. "Sh! What's that?" Daryl asked, turning and raising his crossbow. Michonne did the same, her sword at the ready. They stayed frozen for a moment, waiting to hear something else but no other sound came. Michonne knew it wasn't a walker because she didn't smell anything. After traveling around with two walkers for months, she came to knew their scent very well. And after they were gone, her ability to pick up on that same scent was, if anything, stronger. "It might've just been a rabbit or somethin'," Daryl said. "Stay alert."

They began to move further along into the woods, making sure to keep an eye out all around them.

"I approve, you know," Daryl said after a while.

"Of what?" Michonne asked.

"...You and Rick," Daryl answered awkwardly. "I know it's none of my business one way or the other but..." he nodded. "If two people need to get it on, it's you two."

Michonne couldn't keep her chuckle at bay. Trust Daryl to make it sound as unromantic as possible. "...Thank you," Michonne said, for lack of anything else to say. "It's no big deal though," she said with a shrug. "It's not like we're going steady or anything. We're just...getting through the days as best we can. Like everybody else."

"I don't need an explanation," Daryl said. "Like I said...None of my business."

Michonne nodded. That's what she liked about Daryl. Everything was simple, straightforward, and out in the open. The woods were silent as they moved along. Michonne was now putting her trust in Daryl to lead them to where they needed to be because she had lost Abraham's trail a while back. "What about you?" she asked, enjoying chatting as they moved along on their self-made mission. "How's your love life?" It was always something she had been curious about but she had never asked. He didn't seem interested in any of the women at the prison. Yeah, he was close to Carol, but there didn't seem to be anything sexual about that. She could usually read people pretty well but not Daryl. Not on this.

"Nah..." Daryl said simply with a shake of his head. "That's not my thing. I ain't gettin' involved with nobody. Not in _this _world."

"What about before this world?" Michonne asked. "Was there anybody special?"

"Not really..." Daryl said with a shrug. Michonne could tell that this topic was making him uncomfortable. "My brother...He was always bringin' women home. Treatin' 'em bad. And the girls, they would just...take it. I never really liked that. It wasn't fun...Datin'..."

"Sounds like you just didn't meet the right woman," Michonne said. She smiled. "Who knew? Daryl, the hopeless romantic," she teased.

"I ain't no hopeless romantic," Daryl said.

"Oh, I think you are," Michonne continued. "Dinner, candy, a movie...a long courtship. I think that's your thing."

"Somethin' wrong with that?" Daryl asked, again defensive. Michonne smiled; he was easily pricked.

"No," she said. "Nothing wrong with that at all." A twig snapped behind them and both Michonne and Daryl twirled on someone they knew to be there this time. No animal would be trailing them like this.

"Come on out," Daryl said. "We know you're there."

A moment of silence passed and then Jessie stepped out with her hands up. Michonne and Daryl both glared at her in confusion.

"Why are you following us?" Michonne asked.

"I – I just wanted to check on the red-headed man," Jessie said with a shrug.

"Abraham," Michonne said. "You know his name. Just say Abraham."

"Abraham," Jessie corrected. "That is where ya'll are going right?" she asked, looking between Michonne and Daryl. "To check on him? I feel like it's my fault that he's upset."

Michonne continued to look at Jessie suspiciously. "It's not your fault," Michonne said. "It's Eugene's."

"Yeah, but if I wouldn't have said anything-"

"We would've found out anyway," Daryl said. "Sooner or later. Better sooner rather than later." He looked at Jessie's wounded wrists. He assumed Rick freed her. He knew Rick must trust that she wouldn't cause trouble and he trusted Rick so he lowered his weapon. He noticed that Michonne didn't; he gave her a look and reluctantly, she lowered her sword. "Go back to the camp," Daryl instructed. "We'll find Abraham. This doesn't really concern you."

Lowering her hands since they were no longer threatening her with sharp objects, Jessie gave a nod. "Okay," she said. "I'll go back. Be careful out here," she said, before turning and going on her way.

When she was gone, Daryl glanced at Michonne. "Do you think she was really out here to look for Abraham?" he asked.

"No way," Michonne said.

"You think she's dangerous?"

Michonne tilted her head. "At first I didn't," she said. "Now I'm not so sure."

Daryl nodded. "We'll keep an eye on her," he said. "And tell Rick about this in the morning."

"Yeah," Michonne agreed. She looked after the path Jessie had taken one more time before continuing on their trek to find Abraham. Whatever the girl was up to, she'd find out soon enough.

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When Jessie got back to the camp, she noticed that a few people watched her warily until she climbed the steps of the bus and disappeared from their view. She made her way down the aisle, brushing her hand against the top of the seats until she came across the one that Rick occupied. He was asleep. Or at least he seemed so. His gun was out of its holster and draped across his chest. His hand was on it as if he was ready to shoot at any moment.

Jessie tilted her head. She found that strange. There were so many people surrounding him that a "walker" as they called the dead things, wouldn't be able to sneak up on him without him getting more than enough warning. Did he feel so unsafe that he needed his gun out even in his moments of sleep? Jessie slid into the space between the seats and knelt down. His face was relaxed but small ticks threatened to stop that from being so. Jessie assumed he must be having a bad dream. Risking it, Jessie reached out and laid her hand gently against the side of Rick's face.

His reaction was instant. He jerked awake, caught her wrist and put his gun in her face before realization of who she was even dawned on him. Jessie couldn't say she was entirely surprised by the outcome but she still didn't enjoy having a gun aimed at her. And so close. She leaned back into the seat behind her. She didn't even try to yank her wrist out of Rick's tightened grip because that would be no use. There would be a bruise there in the morning though. She could literally feel her bones grinding against each other. "I'm not a walker," Jessie said, when she saw that Rick's eyes had cleared and he recognized her but he continued to hold her and keep his weapon out.

"I know," Rick said, his gun still in her face. "What are you doing here?"

Jessie let out a nervous chuckle and rolled her eyes. "I was-" She laughed again. "This isn't gonna sound good," she explained. Rick shifted, staring at her with hard suspicion. "But I was – I was watching you sleep." When Rick squinted as if she had said the most preposterous thing in the world she explained further. "I like to watch people!"

"You like to watch people?" Rick asked. Jessie knew that her explanation hadn't helped matters.

"I know it sounds creepy," Jessie said. "And you're right. Maybe it is but...There's nothing perverse about it, I promise! It was just...part of my thing as a wannabe psychologist. And...I don't know...I like watching people sleep the most because they're completely...unguarded." She glanced up at Rick. "Or at least most people are."

Rick stared at her incredulously for a couple more minutes then he let her go. Jessie was relieved to see him holster his weapon again as well. He sat up on the seat and Jessie took the liberty to sit beside him. "I-" Jessie gave a short laugh again. "I don't think you're the only person I've creeped out tonight with my...watching." Rick turned to look at her with a half-questioning look on his face so Jessie took that as a prompt to keep going. "I kind of...followed Michonne and Daryl into the woods tonight when they went to look for Abraham."

"Why?" Rick asked.

"Michonne," Jessie answered. "She puzzles me. It's really hard to read her so...I keep wanting to. But she also kind of scares me," Jessie laughed again. "So I tried to be all secretive about it but she caught me. Then I made up some dumb story about wanting to find Abraham myself. So her and Daryl probably trust me even less now." She shrugged and chuckled again. "I know," she said. "It was dumb. But...Michonne's a mystery. Isn't she?"

"You have no idea," Rick replied. Jessie looked at Rick with Daryl and Michonne's conversation replaying through her head. Daryl had said that Rick and Michonne were "knockin' boots". Things were starting to make sense now. The way Rick always looked to her for an opinion, the way he trusted his son with her...It did seem like a bit of a surprise though. They seemed like two people who didn't let others in very easily. So, that could only mean one thing. They were both lonely and gravitating toward the person that understood them most. 'I just have to show him,' Jessie thought. 'That I can be understanding too.'

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Two Days Ago

Jessie gritted her teeth trying to fight her frustration and the pain that her husband's grip was causing on her arm. Her husband, Kyle, dragged her through the woods making sure to keep as quiet as possible. His eyes were angry and focused as he steered her roughly along. "Sh!" he said, stopping suddenly. Jessie didn't realize why he was stopping until she saw what he saw. Up ahead, a group of people were gathered around a bus. Jessie's eyes widened; this was the first group of people she had seen in weeks. Not since her husband had forced her to leave Alexandria.

"We should go to them!" Jessie whispered harshly.

"No!" Kyle said, gripping her arm tighter so that she wouldn't run off. "People can't be trusted. I'd rather risk my life out here with the dead!"

"Well, I wouldn't!" Jessie said fiercely. "We can meet up with those people and we can go back! We can go back to Alexandria! We were safe there!"

Kyle glared at her and Jessie's heart froze in fright for a moment. He had struck her before. He may do it again. "At what cost?" he ground out through his teeth. Jessie stared at him. "We're not going back. We're going forward." He pulled her roughly further into the woods so that they wouldn't risk being seen by the group at the bus. Then he walked past them. Further towards isolation. Jessie's rage grew. "You wanna keep prostituting yourself, is that it?" Kyle snarled. "Just for a warm bed and food? Well, I'm not gonna let that happen. Not when you're with me. Not when you're mine!"

They must have been about five hundred yards from the bus when Jessie saw it. The dead straggler, coming from behind a tree. Kyle was looking at her and was unaware of what was in front of him. Jessie opened her mouth to warn him but then she stopped. Not a word came from her mouth as the dead man came forward, Kyle finally looked ahead of himself but too late...The dead man had him. Jessie jerked free of Kyle's grasp, her heart pounding as she watched Kyle get bitten. Jessie was amazed in that moment that Kyle kept quiet, he only gave a pained grunt and then stabbed the thing in the head with his knife. The dead man was down, the knife still sticking out of its head, and Kyle fell to the ground. "I've been bit," he said faintly, in shock and disbelief.

Jessie chose that moment to go forward. "I'll get help," she said, helping him up. She put his arm around her neck. "Let's go back to the people in the bus. I'll get them to help you." Kyle gave a weak nod and Jessie's heart swelled with relief. She barely held back a smile. She was going back to salvation. People. Safety. She made her way out of the woods and onto the road. "Help!" She yelled. "Somebody help me! My husband's been bitten!"

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Present

Jessie smiled at Rick. "You've been married before," she said, nodding at his ring. "It's hard, isn't it? Going on without them?"

Rick nodded, not about to go further into it with someone he had just met. "I'm sorry about your husband," he said. "But you did what you had to do."

Jessie nodded. "We all do what we have to do," she said seriously. She stood up. "I hope you can get some rest," she said. "I know how hard being a leader can be." With that said, she moved over to the seat across from him and sat down. Rick only watched her go. He wished that she would go back outside. He definitely wouldn't be able to rest with her in here. He still didn't completely trust her yet.

Jessie sat and thought about Kyle. And what she had done to get here. She knew that she would make the same decision ten times over if it meant getting back to Alexandria. Her husband was weak and near-sighted. He liked to think he was the king but he was merely the pawn. Kyle always thought it was the leader of Alexandria, Alexander, who had propositioned her and seduced her into his bed but it was in fact she who had long found out that a quick thirty minutes of sweat and moaning could give a woman just as much power, or more, than a man. She had practically become a leader in Alexandria herself but that meddling Douglas ruined everything. He informed Kyle and then Kyle's jealousy had caused him to prematurely pull them from the walled city. They had been traveling for about two weeks, in a vehicle provided by Alexandria for a while before it had to be abandoned, when they had run across Rick's group. Jessie smiled. It was a miracle. And it seemed that no matter where she went, there was always a man in a position of power. Jessie rolled her head to see Rick squinting at her suspiciously. A lonely man.

Jessie gave Rick a soft smile and then turned to look out the window again. There was something about the dangerous intensity in this man's eyes and the gentleness with which he treated his family that made Jessie think this man may be an even greater leader than Alexander. 'I can make use of that,' Jessie thought.

- There it is, guys. A glimpse of what Jessie's up to. Give me some reviews about what you think. And some things you'd like to see in the coming chapters between characters. -


	5. Chapter 5

- With all this talk of Jessie and Morgan joining the show as recurring characters, I am getting bad vibes but hoping to God that the writers of TWD won't sink the Richonne ship. -

Chapter Five: Trouble

Rick awoke the next morning with a jerk. He felt an ache in his neck that he knew wouldn't go away for at least twenty minutes. Rising from his position, he surmised that the angle in which he slept – with his head uncomfortably propped against the window- must be the reason for his pains this morning. With a slight groan he lifted his head and sat up. He looked over to see that Jessie was asleep in the same position she had been in last night, sitting up with her knees raised against the seat in front of her and her head leaning against the seat behind her. He stood and ignored his stiff joints as he made his way to the front of the bus and down the steps.

Most of the group were asleep. Maggie and Glenn were cuddled up together. Carl, Eugene, Gabriel and Noah were also sleeping nearby. Tyrese and Sasha were taking down noisemaker boobytraps that they had hoisted last night as an alert for any walkers that may try to sneak up on them. From their tired eyes, Rick could also tell that they must have stayed up on watch. Carol was awake and sitting up in her blankets, looking around worriedly. When she saw Rick step down from the bus, she made her way toward him. "I don't see Daryl or Michonne," she said by way of greeting. She rubbed her arms, fighting the chill of the early morning weather and the chill of worry that had crept through her bones at the discovery. "Didn't they go out last night to look for Abraham and Rosita? I don't see them either."

Rick's heart clenched with worry and his own eyes scanned the nearby road and wood to see that Carol was right. They were nowhere in sight. They should have come back long ago. Rick placed his hand on his holstered weapon, trying not to imagine the worst. But it was hard. Last time when Bob went missing, he had come back with a missing leg. And when Carol and Daryl had gone missing last time, they had come back with news of Beth's death. If anything were to happen to either Michonne or Daryl...Rick shook his head. Michonne, Daryl, Abraham, and Rosita...If there was ever a group of survivors, it was those four. They would come back. "Do you think we should go look for them?" Carol asked.

'Yes,' Rick's heart demanded but his rational mind took over. He looked around at all of the sleeping people. If he were to go out and start forming search parties, they would fear the worst. After last night's revelation, he needed to keep their morale up. So first he needed to discuss their next plan going forward. "No," he answered. "It's too soon to think that anything has happened. We'll wait for them to come back first and then if they're not back by the evening...we'll go out and look." Carol cast a worried look towards the woods and Rick hoped to God that he was making the right call. "Let's get everyone up," Rick said, concealing his worry inside. "We need to talk about what we're going to do next."

"...Okay..." Carol said. She bent down and began to gently shake Glenn and Maggie awake. Rick cast his eyes towards the woods, hoping that Michonne would appear from between the trees with Daryl following behind her.

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The night before, Daryl and Michonne had finally come across Abraham. He was pacing like a caged animal in the middle of the wood and Rosita was hovering just outside of his space. She had looked up when they arrived. "He said he needs to kill something," she had said. And then Abraham had stormed off, quickly and purposefully. The others had followed, trying to call out to him but he had been deaf to them. They had continued to follow, hoping that he wouldn't get himself killed, when he had led them to this place. This intersection that, judging from the amount of parked cars and wandering walkers, used to be a busy bypass that led people from somewhere to Washington. "Perfect," Abraham whispered and then he was running down the hill toward the street.

"Shit." Michonne and Abraham had different reactions to the situation. She shot a look over at Daryl and saw that his reaction mirrored hers.

"Abraham!" Rosita called. When she saw that he wasn't going to listen, she turned to Michonne and Daryl with a resigned look on her face. "I have to follow him," she explained. She removed her knife from its belt and began to follow him down the hill. "Idiot," she mumbled under her breath as she made her way down toward the walker-infested street.

Knowing that they couldn't just as well leave the two alone, Daryl adjusted his weapon on his shoulder. "You comin'?" he asked.

Michonne scanned the intersection. It was manageable. But she scowled. She hadn't planned to spend the morning fighting off walkers when she didn't need to. Her stomach growled. She hadn't even eaten breakfast this morning. She hoped Carl wouldn't go digging in her bag for her small stash of candy bars. He had done it before and then tried to play innocent. "If I die because of this, I'm gonna come back and bite his ass," she said before making her way down the hill.

Daryl chuckled. "This ain't too bad," Daryl said of the walkers strolling around. "Let's just let him blow off some steam. Then if things get to be too much, we'll hightail it outta here."

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Rick paced back and forth with his hands on his hips. They weren't back yet. He had decided to let everyone get some food in their stomachs before he went into any plans. He could tell that people were glancing at him curiously, wondering what the next move was going to be but letting everyone get settled first might reduce the amount of anxious questions.

People were groggily waking up, cracking open cans of food...Carl was digging inside someone's bag. It looked like Michonne's. Rick sighed with frustration at the thought of her and walked towards the back of the bus where Carol was. She was also watching the woods. Anger was beginning to mix with the worry Rick felt. He didn't understand how Michonne thought it was okay to take this long getting back when she knew how he must feel right now. She had just taken a walk to go check on someone. It shouldn't take this long! "What do you think's taking so long?" Carol asked, speaking Rick's thoughts aloud.

"Maybe Daryl got caught up on a hunting trail," Rick said, grasping at straws.

"Or maybe something's happened to Abraham," Carol said.

"What are we talking about?" A voice behind them caused both Rick and Carol to turn to see Jessie coming down the steps of the bus. Her eyes were barely open, as if she was continuing to blink sleep out of them.

An interrupted silence hung over the three people for a moment until Carol turned to Rick. "I'll go around and check what the mood is like," Carol said. She knew that some people were more disappointed than others about the news that Eugene had dropped on them the night before. Rick would want to know just how receptive everyone was going to be to his new plan, whatever that was. But mostly Carol just wanted to get away from the new girl. The girl had a way of addressing people as if she was familiar with them. It made Carol slightly uncomfortable.

"I guess it's going to take a while for everyone to trust me," Jessie said, watching Carol go off by herself. She stood beside Rick. She noticed that Rick automatically placed his hand on his weapon. She wasn't in just yet.

"I guess," Rick growled, not bothering to answer her first question. He moved his tongue around his mouth for a moment, still wary around the new girl. "This town..." he said. "Got a name?"

"Yeah," Jessie responded. She looked up at him from where her gaze landed at his shoulder. "I think my husband called it...the Alexandria Safe Zone."

'Alexandria Safe Zone...' Rick thought it over. Terminus had just been a corrupted failed attempt. What made this place any different. "Do you know about how many people are at this...Safe Zone?" Rick asked.

"Mmm...Around fifty or sixty?" Jessie answered.

'A little less than Woodbury.' Rick immediately began to think about how he would handle things if everything started to seem off with the place. Knowing how many people they had, they would definitely have to be careful coming up on this place. They were outnumbered. And he didn't know just what kind of people they would meet.

"Are Michonne and Daryl not back yet?" Jessie asked.

Rick stopped imagining future scenarios to focus on Jessie once again. Jessie could see that Rick wasn't going to answer her question so she just continued in spite of him. "If you're thinking about going to look for them, I know which way they went."

Once again, Rick didn't answer. "Everyone's eating breakfast," he finally said. "You should probably try to get something to eat too." Then he walked off.

Knowing that it would take a while to get Rick to warm up to her, Jessie shrugged it off and looked around. She would just have to be patient. For now, she would just focus on feeding the hunger in her stomach. Now that Rick had mentioned it, she realized she hadn't eaten since Carol had fed her the carrots from before. Her eyes landed on the Asian and the country girl. Glenn and Maggie. They were skinning a squirrel and opening a can of fruit. If anyone was going to share their food, it might be them. She went over with careful and hopeful steps.

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"Ahhh!" Michonne sliced her way through a particularly thick skull.

"What are you looking at, you dead son of a bitch?" she heard Abraham taunt before he shoved the butt of his gun into a walker's forehead. She ignored the splash of blood she felt hit her hand and instead focused on the man's face. It looked like life was rushing into his veins again. Before, he had just looked ashen and depressed.

"Hey," Daryl called. Michonne turned to see him ducking inside a car and pulling a bottle of old pills out. "Let's look for some supplies while we're here. We might as well get something from this."

"I think he is," Michonne said, tilting her head in Abraham's direction. Daryl squinted over to see Abraham beating at a walker until its head was flat with the pavement before Abraham rose wearing an expression close to a smile.

"Next!" Abraham yelled.

Daryl shook his head and chuckled. "Crazy son of a bitch..." he mumbled.

"Maybe you should try it too," Michonne said.

"Try what?" Daryl looked over to see Michonne looking at him with a worried expression. He aimed his crossbow and took out a walker that was ambling slowly toward her from behind. Michonne barely reacted.

"Taking out your stress on them," Michonne responded. "I know you cared about Beth."

A somber expression fell across Daryl's face and Michonne almost wished she hadn't brought it up. "Killin' walkers ain't gon' bring her back," Daryl said.

"No. But it might help..." Michonne turned and sliced her way through a nearby walker that was coming up on her right side. "Mike!" she yelled, taking her own advice. Daryl squinted, unsure of who or what she was talking about. Michonne looked at the walker she had just killed; the top of its head separated completely from the rest of itself. Dead and conquered. Her heart pounded in her chest. She moved forward, her conversation with Daryl over. It was time to kill some of the bad that had buried itself in her chest.

She approached a female walker and pierced its brain. "Andrea. Why didn't you come with me?" She stared into the walker's dead eyes before removing her blade.

Another one came. She cut it down. "Governor."

"Why can't we ever just find a place to STAY!" She cut the head off of a walker trapped between two cars. "Fuckin' WALKERS!" She walked across the hood of the car and stabbed a walker in its open mouth, tilting her sword upwards so that she would hit the brain.

"That's right," Abraham said, passing behind her and grabbing hold of a walker by the hair and holding it at arms' length. "Taunt 'em. They like that." He sounded almost proud. "Like this one...This one looks like my dirty old stepmom." Abraham held too tightly and the clump of hair he was holding ripped right from the walker's scalp. He dodged the lunging walker just in time. Michonne pulled her sword from the body of the previous walker and finished off Abraham's "dirty old stepmom".

"She's a smelly one," Michonne said, wrinkling her nose as the wind carried the scent up to her.

"So was my stepmom," Abraham said.

Daryl watched from where he was with a look of bemusement on his face. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he watched Michonne start to taunt the walkers and smile just as Abraham did when he was in the zone of killing those things. Daryl shook his head. Michonne was continuing to surprise and amaze him. There was a lightness to her these days that he never would have thought possible those months ago when she first showed herself to them at the prison. He wondered if her new attitude was a direct correlation of what he had just found out about Michonne's and Rick's relationship. It wouldn't be surprising. Rick, himself, had been seen smiling a couple times in the presence of the badass samurai and his son.

"Watch out behind you," Abraham said. Michonne wasted no time in turning around and jabbing her sword straight up through the walker's chin until the tip of her blade poked through the top of the walker's head. "Nice!" Abraham yelled. "Where'd you learn to do all that girl? I could've used you in the army. You're much better than most of them asshats I had to work with all day."

Michonne shrugged. "I just picked things up here and there."

"I tell ya," Abraham said, looking Michonne up and down. "If I didn't have that wild thing to cater to every night," he pointed in the direction of Rosita. "I'd be all over you like Rice on Krispies."

Michonne saw Rosita roll her eyes and shake her head. "Watch it Abraham," the young girl called. Michonne chuckled, her brows furrowing at Abraham's bluntness and his odd saying.

"I don't think you can handle me," she ended up teasing. It had been a while since she had bantered with anybody. She never expected that she would be laughing and smiling now with the rough and callous Abraham while standing in the midst of shambling walkers. It was moments like these that Michonne knew there were reasons to keep fighting. Again, she inwardly thanked all that was holy that she hadn't run off after the prison had fallen. These connections...these friendships...these people were worth fighting for and worth holding onto.

An arrow whizzed between Abraham and Michonne, startling them slightly. "Y'all stop flirtin' and pay attention! Damn." Daryl yelled.

"Look at this desperate son of a bitch," Abraham said. He was looking down at one of the walkers Michonne had beheaded. It was chomping its teeth and biting down on air, trying to get to them with no avail.

Michonne went over to it to stab it in the brain. Abraham took that moment to walk over also to give her firm behind a smack. He raised his hand but Michonne's voice stopped him. "Don't even think about it," she said warningly without turning around; she just pulled her sword from the now-still walker's brain and began to walk away.

She heard Abraham chuckle behind her. "She's right, babe," Abraham said, retreating. Michonne assumed he was talking to Rosita. "She's too much for me. You'll have to do."

"You're not getting any tonight," Rosita said, unamused. But Michonne could tell that the girl was not really upset. She must have learned long ago that Abraham was the type of man that just said and did whatever he wanted.

"What'cha got?" Michonne asked, propping herself against the hood of the next car that Daryl was looking through.

Daryl didn't bother to respond to her question. "I'm gonna tell Rick," he said with a small smirk.

A small smile of her own lifted Michonne's lips. He looked just like a little boy. "What are you, ten?" she asked.

Daryl shrugged, not letting her insult phase him. "It doesn't matter what you say," he said. "'Cause I'm gonna tell him."

Michonne rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to play this game with him. "You do what you want," she said. "I'm gonna check some of the other cars."

"You do that," Daryl said, his smirk not leaving his face.

Michonne shook her head and walked away, feeling warm. She was still reveling in human connection. Being with friends...teasing each other...Those things could still happen. Her mind wandered to Rick. Was it possible that they could actually become something real? Be happy by giving everything?

She peeked through the window of a car that had it's window rolled all the way down. A purse was tipped over in the passenger seat and the contents were strewn everywhere. Michonne's eyes swept over the items until they stopped on an object of interest. It was still lying in the purse, almost hidden. Michonne reached through the window and into the purse. A circular, pink container. Birth control pills.

Michonne felt a small twist in her stomach. She had thought about the possible consequences of her and Rick's reckless behavior before but facing this container, the possibilities were all too real. Michonne's heart thudded, thinking about what could possibly be happening inside her body. Did she _want _it to happen? No. She shook her head. She wasn't ready. Not just yet. Not again. She told herself this but she also knew that when the thought of protection squirmed into her mind before both encounters with Rick, she hadn't said anything. She had just blocked out all thoughts of future happenings and focused on the present. Was that a mistake?

As if in answer to her question, Rosita let out an alarmed sound. "Guys!" she called.

Abraham, Daryl, and Michonne looked up. They saw Rosita looking far off in the direction that they had come from. Everyone's eyes followed that same direction. And Michonne's heart dropped into her chest. In the far off distance, there was a huge mass. It took Michonne's eyes a moment to register what that mass was. Then she was taking steps back. Walkers. It was hundreds upon hundreds of walkers. A large herd. No one needed to say anything. Everyone began to run.

Michonne tucked the pills into her back pocket and ran up the hill they had come down and back into the woods, killing every straggling walker that came close. Abraham, Daryl, and Rosita were right beside her. They needed to get back and warn everyone. Get them to safety. Rick. Carl.

Now that Michonne was aware of the mass of walkers, she could smell them. Their stench was almost overwhelming. She didn't know if she was imagining things or not but it almost made her sick.

None of them spoke as they ran. The walkers were too far away to hear them but they didn't want to risk it. They didn't want to risk the herd coming faster.'

'Rick! Carl!' Michonne's feet pounded against the ground as she sped up. The Grimes boys' names kept going around and around in her head. She couldn't lose them. She couldn't lose the most important connections of all.

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"We're going to a walled city called Alexandria," Rick announced to everyone. "I've talked to Noah and Jessie and from what they tell me, it seems to be our best lead at the moment on a safe place to settle."

Rick saw everyone shift their eyes and look between Jessie and Noah. Rick knew what they were thinking. They barely knew these two. And Rick had considered that as well. But Noah had helped Daryl and Carol at the hospital. Their trust in him was enough to make Rick trust him. Rick still wasn't too sure about Jessie but so far she hadn't tried anything so he couldn't cast any bad judgment on her.

"Are...we sure we can trust this place?" Glenn asked, voicing everyone's concerns. "I mean...after Terminus, the hospital and everything. It seems like not many good people are left."

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Maybe we should try to...just find a place of our own."

Rick nodded. That's also something he had considered. "I understand what you're saying," he said. "But-"

"Rick!"

Rick turned immediately, his heart pounding in his chest. He recognized the voice instantly. It was Michonne's. Her voice was urgent. Rick went toward her quickly right as she came out of the woods. His eyes swept over her quickly to see if she was hurt. It didn't seem as if she was but her breathing was slightly heavy, as if she had rushed back. Was someone chasing her? "What is it?" Rick asked, trying to keep his panic under control.

"Walkers," Michonne said simply. "A whole herd of them. They're coming this way from the direction we just came."

As she spoke, Daryl, Abraham, and Rosita came out of the woods behind her. They all looked winded. Rosita was flushed. That was all Rick needed to know that this was serious business. "Everyone onto the bus," Rick called. "How big is the herd?" he asked Michonne, delegating as he moved.

"Hundreds," Michonne said, shaking her head. "It's the biggest one I've ever seen."

Rick's stomach dropped. This was news that he didn't want to hear at all. Everyone could overhear what Michonne was saying and they didn't waste time in gathering up their things and putting them onto the bus.

"What do you want to do?" Carl asked, running up to his father. He was ready for whatever his father decided.

"We'll have to go toward the nearest city," Rick said, thinking on his feet. "Find a tall building. Clear it out. Stay there for a few days until the herd passes. It could take weeks." He looked over at Michonne. She nodded, assuring him that his plan was as good as any. "It can be dangerous going into a city so we have to get everybody ready to fight."

"Hell yeah," Abraham said. "Let's do it." He brushed past Eugene as he fumbled his way onto the bus. It was almost as if the man didn't exist to the red-headed male.

Michonne followed Daryl and Rick onto the bus. "What about Alexandria?" Jessie asked, stepping on right ahead of them. "What if the herd is headed for Alexandria? What are we going to do?"

"Then we'll just find another place," Daryl said matter-of-factly.

Jessie's face blanched and she walked to an empty seat.

"Do we have enough gas?" Rick asked as he stepped onto the bus. He stopped at the driver's seat where Abraham had set himself down.

"We do," Abraham said, looking at the gas gauge. "We filled her up just last night."

Rick nodded and squeezed onto the first seat with Carl and Michonne. Michonne was near the window and Carl was in the middle. "Floor her," Rick instructed Abraham.

"Yes, sir."

Abraham started the engine and pressed his foot to the gas pedal to get away from the wave of death that was pressing on them from behind.

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A couple of hours passed in hushed tones and silence for most of the people on the bus. Everyone was safe at the moment but no one wanted to let themselves relax because this fleeting feeling of safety wouldn't last long. Judith cried from somewhere in the back, shattering the heavy silence, and everyone turned to look at her. Carl looked at his father. "I'm going to go check on her," he said. Rick nodded and watched Carl go to the back of the bus where Tyreese held Judith.

He faced ahead once again. Noticing that Michonne didn't move over to fill the space that Carl had left between them, Rick glanced over at her. She was staring ahead, her hands in her lap. His brows furrowed when he noticed the splatters of blood marring her gloves. "The herd..." Rick said. "Is that why it took you so long to get back?"

Michonne looked over at him with a questioning gaze and then looked down at her hands. Seeing what he was seeing, Michonne spoke. "Oh. No," she said, taking off the gloves. She stuffed them into the bag at her feet. "Abraham was looking to take his anger out on something so we just stayed out and killed some walkers."

Rick tilted his head and frowned. "You stayed out hours past the time we were expecting you to get back so that you could risk your life killing some walkers that didn't need killin'?"

"They all need killing." Michonne corrected.

"Not right now," Rick said. "Not by you. Not on some crazy whim."

Michonne blinked. Rick's voice was low and serious. If she didn't know any better, she would think that she was being scolded. "Abraham was in no condition to come back," she explained. "He would have killed Eugene."

"That's no excuse for _you _not coming back," Rick admonished. "Rosita was with him. Daryl was with him. Abraham's not your problem. Next time, come back in an acceptable amount of time. We can't risk separating for too long. We need to stick together now more than ever."

Michonne was silent for a moment. Usually she knew how to respond to Rick but right now she didn't. She finally just shook her head and said sarcastically, "Yes, father."

Rick stared at Michonne for a moment. She had turned to look out the window. He realized what he must sound like. A nagging asshole. "I was worried about you," he admitted. Hoping that would explain his statements.

Michonne turned to look at him and gave him a small smile. It was good to know she had someone worrying about her. She had gone so long without that.

"_Carl _was worried about you," Rick continued. "He needs you, you know."

Something flickered across Michonne's face and for a moment, he thought he may have said something wrong. "I know," Michonne said, though. With her smile returning. "You've told me." She turned to the window again. She wanted to ask if he would be worried about her if Carl didn't need her anymore but she didn't want to make things too weird or melodramatic.

Out there on the highway she had wondered if she could allow herself to give herself fully to this man. The truth was...she was afraid. She had come a long way but she still couldn't allow herself to believe fully in a happily ever after. Everything was too uncertain. The mob of walkers unknowingly trailing behind them was evidence of that. Mike. Terry. Andrea. Hershel. Beth. So many others. Her eyes went to Rick. She had complete faith that he could take care of himself but...faith didn't amount to anything in this world.

- If there's anything you want to see in the upcoming chapters, let me know. -


	6. Chapter 6

Next chapter! -

Chapter Six: Greensboro

"This is it," Rick said. It was somewhere in the dark, early morning hours when they pulled into the city they would have to hole themselves up in while the herd of trailing walkers passed. No one was tired. No one was asleep. Everyone was peering through their windows at the city as Abraham slowly drove through. It was a big city. Walkers could be seen milling about and they slowly began to turn toward the vehicle as it passed and slowly start to amble towards it. Abraham had turned off the lights and was trying to keep the engine as quiet as possible but it was hard to mask a big, moving bus in the still immobility of the land of the dead.

"Where do you think we are?" Glenn whispered quietly.

"It looks like Greensboro," Jessie answered. She remembered her husband taking great pains to make sure they traveled around the place and not through it. With the amount of dead ones around, she could see why. The walkers hadn't reached an unmanageable number as of yet but some had begun to get close and pound weakly at the windows. Abraham continued to move at a crawl. They needed to find a place that looked safe enough to clear and stay in for a couple of days.

"I hate Greensboro," Tara whispered from the back.

"You've been here?" Glenn asked.

"No," Tara replied. "But I'm getting really bad vibes right now." She jumped slightly when a walker slapped its hand against her window.

"How about we find a hotel?" Tyreese asked. "If we can fight our way into a room, we'll be good for a while."

"Most hotels have glass doors at the entrance," Michonne said from her spot next to Rick. "Wouldn't be good if a pack of 'em pressed up against them while we were asleep."

"Let's look for an office building," Rick said. "One with a lot of floors. We can clear one of the floors and then stay there for a while."

"How long is a while?" Glenn asked. "We don't know how long we'll have to wait until that herd passes. What if we run out of food? We'd have to make a supply run and that would mean fighting our way through floors of possible walkers more than once."

"Guys," Rosita's voice chimed in. "Look over there." Everyone turned to where she was pointing. There was what seemed to be a three-story library made out of brick right off the side of the road and snuggled between two apartment buildings. "I don't know about you all," she said. "But that place seems to be as good as any."

"Steel doors," Michonne observed. "I'm in."

Rick glanced over at her and nodded once. "Looks like we've got a plan," he said to the group. "Let's get in there quickly. And quietly. We'll clear the place as best we can then make fortifications."

It didn't take long for the group to find a way in, holding off walkers as they went. Everyone carried a bag with some of their supplies in it. Once they were inside, Tyreese and Sasha quickly blocked the entrance and they began to clear the first floor of whatever walkers they saw. Not many were in there. They finished off about ten and piled them near the now-blocked entrance. "We'll take care of them in the morning," Rick said. "Let's clear the next two floors."

The next two floors were cleared just as efficiently as the first. There were only two close call scares when a walker came out of an unexpected place and got too close. One of those places had been from underneath a stairwell as they made their way from the second to the third floor and another of those places had been in the women's bathroom on the third floor. One of them had been locked in a stall and had come rushing out when Carol had opened the door to take care of business. After her initial shock and stumbling back on her broken ankle, Carol had managed to hold the walker off and puncture its brain with the hunting knife on her belt.

"Where is everybody gonna sleep?" Carol asked when she came out of the bathroom. Tara, Rosita, Sasha, Tyreese, Michonne, Jessie, Carl, Judith and Rick were on the third floor with her. She assumed Glenn and Maggie had gone to one of the lower floors to get privacy. Daryl and Abraham must be on the first floor, checking for any weaknesses in the library again. And she had no idea where Gabriel, Noah, and Eugene were. They weren't on the third floor though.

"There's a nice office up here," Tara said, approaching Carol. "It has some comfy couches. I was gonna claim it but..." she gestured to the office she was talking about and Carol saw Rick moving around with Judith in the room. "He got to it before I could."

"I'm sure he'd let you have it if you asked," Carol said. "Rick's a gentleman."

One side of Tara's lips lifted in a small smile and she shrugged. In the past week, Tara had seen the man hack a man to death, shoot two other men right in the head without flinching, and threaten to shoot Eugene for lying. It may be true that he was a gentleman but he was also vicious. And Tara found him pretty intimidating. She shook her head gently. "It's okay," she said. "Besides...He's got his kids to think about. I don't wanna be selfish."

"It's not selfish to want comfort," Rosita said; she must have overheard them. "And look," she said, looking toward the office. "Carl's coming out. He's probably gonna read for a while before going to bed. He's got a flashlight and everything."

"Still, it's okay..." Tara said with a nervous chuckle. It wasn't a big deal. Sleeping in the office wasn't that important.

Rosita smiled. She knew Tara really wanted to sleep in the office. When they first got up here, Tara had gone straight there with a wide smile and an enthusiastic "Nice!" escaping her lips. "Hold on," Rosita said, getting an idea. She walked over to one side of the room, past Jessie and Sasha, to Michonne who was building a small room for herself with small, brown wooden shelves covered with books from the children's section. She was laying a blanket out on the floor and had a can of yams already opened on the floor. It looked like she was set. Rosita felt Tara and Carol following behind her curiously.

Michonne looked up as the women approached. She continued to lay her blanket down neatly then she stood. "Yeah?" she asked.

Jessie and Sasha watched from their spots as well. Jessie was sitting down with her back against a bookshelf and Sasha was standing; she had been thinking about Bob again.

Rosita nodded before she began talking. This was the first time she was approaching this woman directly. Rosita decided she'd get right to the point. "We were wondering if you could talk to Rick for us."

Michonne looked at the three women in front of her curiously. Rosita looked serious, Tara looked kind of nervous, and Carol was holding back a smile. "About what?" Michonne asked.

"It looks like he's thinking about sleeping in the office," Rosita said. "We were wondering if you could ask and see if Tara could sleep in there instead."

Tara tapped Rosita's arm nervously before turning to Michonne. "No," she said. "It's okay. I don't have to sleep in there. The ground's as good a place as any."

Michonne squinted. She didn't understand what was happening. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" she wondered. She threw a questioning look to Carol but Carol just shrugged her shoulders, feigning ignorance, and turned away to go about her business. Carol's expression made Michonne suspect that they were trying to pull a prank on her because she seemed to be finding amusement in all of this. Michonne glanced up and saw that Sasha wore a similar smirk before shaking her head and walking away.

"You have his ear," Rosita said. "We don't know him all that well. We just figured it'd be an easier deal if you asked him."

Michonne stared at Rosita and Tara a moment more before she just decided to do what they wanted. It was an odd request but it was nothing difficult so why not?

Michonne went to the office door and knocked. "Rick?" she called.

"Come in," his voice rasped.

Michonne opened the door and saw Rick sitting on comfortable cloth couch with Judith, who was asleep, in his arms. A large desk was pushed against the far side of the room. "A couple of the girls want to use this room to sleep in," she said, not letting her heart melt at the beautiful image of father and daughter. "Is that okay?"

"Oh. Yeah," Rick said, standing up. He picked up Judith's small blanket as well and walked through the door; Michonne moved aside for him.

Tara smiled and gave Rosita a fist bump before she made her way to the office that now stood empty. Michonne gestured her in, letting her know it was all hers. "You're cool," Tara said, pausing to give Michonne a fist bump as well. Michonne raised her fist, letting the girl fist bump with her. When Tara was inside, Michonne shook her head and closed the door. 'What an odd girl,' she thought.

"Where are you sleeping?" Rick asked, stopping in his tracks to turn back to Michonne. Michonne saw Rosita give a knowing smirk and then walk away.

"Right here," Michonne replied, pointing to the "room" she had made out of three small bookshelves.

"Hm. Cozy," Rick said, stepping forward to look in at her setup. He didn't say anymore than that. He just stood with Judith in his arms and looked down at Michonne.

"...You want to know if it's big enough for two?" Michonne asked softly.

"That had crossed my mind, yes," Rick said with a small smile.

A small smile touched her lips but Michonne glanced away. Her eyes met Jessie's for a minute. She was watching them. "I don't think we should keep doing this," Michonne whispered, meeting Rick's eyes again.

"You've mentioned that before," Rick said. "But you haven't given me a reason why we shouldn't."

"I think people are getting the wrong idea about us," Michonne explained.

"And what idea would that be?" Rick questioned quietly.

Michonne looked back at him; she knew he knew what she was getting at. He was just being difficult. "People are starting to think we're an item."

"Aren't we?" Rick asked. Michonne's heart skipped a beat and she felt butterflies in her stomach. At a loss for words, she just stared at Rick. "I'm going to go put Judith to bed," Rick said, as if he hadn't just said something that could change their whole dynamic. "Wait here for me."

Michonne did as he asked. She waited. But she didn't wait comfortably or at ease. Once he was gone, she went into her makeshift room and slid the bookshelf flush against the other one so that she was closed off from everyone. Through the holes in the bookshelf she could see Carol, Tyreese, and Rosita milling around on the other side of the room. Carl had disappeared downstairs, thank God. And it looked like Jessie had gone too. Where, Michonne didn't know. She had watched Sasha go downstairs a couple of minutes ago.

Michonne looked around in her bag for another blanket. She produced one and draped it over the bookshelf so that no one could see inside. The butterflies increased in Michonne's stomach when she thought about how easily someone could just shuffle over and look down into her space. The bookshelves she had chosen weren't high. She cursed inwardly. Did Rick really have to want to do this now? As she fumbled around, Michonne realized almost in amusement that she was nervous. Nervous! Her! It felt like forever since she had gotten nervous over some man.

And what had he meant about them being an item? Wasn't he the one who had said they shouldn't treat their hook ups so seriously? Michonne took the container of birth control pills she had found yesterday morning out of her pocket and opened it. It was more than halfway full. She blew out a breath and popped one into her mouth. She didn't know if it would be effective or safe but in these times, she didn't have the luxury of going to her gynecologist to ask. And she couldn't risk having another child. Not now. Her mind went back to herd that was right on their tail and she shook her head. Not now. Maybe not ever.

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Rick found a woven basket behind the librarian's desk on the first floor. It was probably meant for holding books after they were returned and before they were to be re-shelved but he would use it for something better. He went back to his pack of supplies and pulled out a blanket that he folded and bunched comfortably in the basket before laying Judith carefully inside. She fit perfectly. A gentle smile touched Rick's face.

He picked up the basket and made his way to where he saw Daryl perched near a glass window that he had reinforced with wood form a broken bookshelf. "Hey," Rick rasped, announcing his approach and getting Daryl's attention.

"Oh, hey," Daryl said. "What's up?"

"Can you watch her?" Rick asked. "Make sure she doesn't wake up?"

"Oh, yeah! I'll watch Lil' Asskicker!" Daryl said quietly. He took the basket from Rick's hands and placed it on a table that sat in front of him. "I think this place will last for a little while," Daryl reported. "Me and Abraham have checked her over pretty good."

"Good," Rick said. "Let me know if anything changes." Daryl nodded and looked out the window again. "Hey," Rick said, getting his attention back. "You okay?"

Daryl nodded. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I know losing Beth must've been hard..." Rick watched Daryl's head drop for a second before he nodded. Knowing Daryl wasn't big on talking feelings, Rick just laid his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I don't know if we'll ever stop losing people-" Rick cut himself off, not wanting to spread negativity. "There's gotta be a place for us!" he said instead with conviction. "There's just gotta be. And we're not gonna stop lookin' 'till we find it."

Daryl thought about Beth and her positive attitude through it all. He nodded and looked up at Rick. "There is," he said. "Alexandria may or may not be it but...there is a place."

Rick nodded. There was something in Daryl's eyes that made him feel reassured for a moment. He patted his right-hand man on the shoulder and stood back. "Are you planning on getting any sleep tonight?" Rick asked.

"I don't know," Daryl said with a shrug. "Maybe."

"If so, just bring Judith up to me," Rick said. "I'll be on the third floor."

"Okay," Daryl said.

On his way back up to the third floor, Rick ran into Jessie in the stairwell. She was sitting on the bottom step. "Hey," he said, pausing to talk to her. "You should probably get some sleep. We may need to go get some supplies tomorrow."

"I don't think I _can _sleep," Jessie said. "I keep thinking about my husband." She looked up at Rick. "We were having some problems before he was bitten. I wish we could've talked and made everything better before he- before he died."

Rick thought about his last days with Lori. He knew how Jessie felt. Rick nodded. "I'm sure he understood you," he said, turning his wedding ring on his finger. "In the end."

Jessie nodded and tears welled in her eyes. Before Rick could think of anything else to say, Jessie stood and hugged him around the middle. She pressed herself against him, holding him tightly. After a couple of minutes she drew back, kissed him on the cheek, and then stepped away from him. "I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes. "I'm a mess. I'm just grateful that you've let me travel with you guys until now."

Rick nodded, still adjusting to what just happened. "It's fine," he said. "Go and try to get some rest. You'll need it."

Jessie watched him walk up the stairs and she blinked her tears away. He was going to Michonne again. 'I have to be patient,' Jessie thought. 'Rick's not the type of man who'll just accept anyone quickly. She may have him now, but I'll have him soon. That's a promise.'

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Michonne slid open her bookshelf wall when she heard Rick whisper a soft "knock knock". She closed it once again and sat down in the middle of her blanket. Rick sat in front of her. Michonne was still suffering from butterflies and heart palpitations but Rick seemed as cool as a cucumber. He pulled the can of yams from the side and put it between them. "You wanna share this?" he asked quietly. There were a couple of windows on the third floor and one that sat right above them so they could see each other by the light of the moon.

"What did you mean when you said we were an item?" Michonne asked, not letting him off the hook.

Rick shrugged and put a yam into his mouth. "You, me, Carl, and Judith..." Rick explained. "We're an item."

Michonne was silent for a moment. She still didn't know how to take that. But it sounded less romantic when he included the kids. It seemed that he was, again, implying that her worth was only measured in the degree in which she could help him with the children. Not letting her disappointment show, Michonne responded back. "It's presumptuous of you to think that you're a part of the club with Carl, Judith, and me."

Taken aback by her unexpected humor, Rick chuckled. "Is that right?" he said. "Well, you may be Carl's favorite right now," he teased back. "But Judith thinks differently. She's my little girl."

"That's 'cause she doesn't know any better," Michonne said. She took off her shoes and moved the can of yams from in between them before scooting closer to Rick. Her knees touched his. "Are you ready to do this?" She reached forward and began to slide Rick's shirt up over his stomach.

Rick felt himself beginning to get aroused just from that simple act but he caught Michonne's wrists and placed them away from him. "You're gonna have to romance me more than that," he said. "Besides...I haven't finished my yams." He picked the can back up and placed them in his lap again. He began to eat and smirked over at Michonne.

Michonne squinted at him. She was starting to get confused about what Rick wanted from her. First, he implied that he just wanted sex. Then it seemed as if he wanted a little more intimacy in the bus and by declaring them an item. But he just debunked the "item" theory. Now he was delaying her sexual advances. What did he want? She decided to just play along. She wasn't about to beg him to let her in on his game. "I'm not his favorite," Michonne said, leaning back with one hand propped on the floor behind her and the other in her lap. When Rick gave her a questioning look, Michonne explained. "Carl. I'm not his favorite. He respects you more than anybody."

Another yam made its way to Rick's mouth and he chewed on it silently. "It doesn't really seem like it lately," Rick said. "He opens up to you way more than he does to me."

"That's because he respects you too _much_," Michonne said. "He's afraid of saying or doing something that will disappoint you. If you haven't noticed, everything he does is in order to earn just as much respect as he's given."

"I respect him," Rick said.

"I know," Michonne said. "And he knows that too. So he works even harder not to lose it. That's why he always acts so strong in front of you."

Rick sighed. "He _is _a strong kid," Rick conceded. "I can't even say that I wish he wasn't so strong because his strength is what's kept him alive. I'm just glad you're around. To give him a little of his childhood back. I'm grateful that you don't find it a burden to play with him."

"Of course not," Michonne said.

Rick put aside the can of yams and moved forward slowly, entering Michonne's space and forcing her to lie on her back until he was propped above her on his elbows. He brushed one of her dreadlocks aside so that her face was unblocked. He then slowly moved in to kiss her lips. Michonne turned away, her breathing heavy. She wished he wouldn't be so gentle. It was causing her to feel things she didn't want to feel. "I want to kiss you," Rick whispered in her ear.

Michonne closed her eyes, her heart thundering in her chest. Ignoring his plea, Michonne went for his belt buckle. She turned to face him, propping herself up on her elbow and letting her right hand fumble to loose his jeans. Her movement caused Rick to fall onto his back. He was tempted to let her reach goal of ridding him of his pants, but he caught her hand, stopping her once again. Michonne stared at him, her brows furrowed. "What do you want?" she whispered, finally voicing her question aloud.

Rick stared into her eyes, still holding her wrist. "I want a kiss," he answered simply.

A drum pounded in Michonne's heart. "Well, you can't have that," she replied back. Bluntly. Cruelly. She jerked her wrist free and managed to finish freeing Rick's member. She moved down, his member in her hand, and then took him into her mouth.

Rick's momentary perplexity died when he felt his hardness become engulfed in warm wetness. His eyes closed and his head fell back to the floor. Michonne wasted no time in taking his full length inside of her mouth and then slowly coming back up. Rick was fully erect so she didn't have to hold onto the base of his penis to keep him up. She used the freedom of both of her hands to stroke his abdomen up and down, causing his shirt to rest somewhere near his chest.

"Oh, God," Rick groaned quietly. He helped to keep his shirt up with one hand and the other came to rest gently on the back of her head. The sensual up-and-down movement of her head turned Rick on even more. His manhood jerked involuntarily with excitement.

"Mm," a surprised grunt came from Michonne's throat.

Michonne slowly moved her way back up his engorged penis before releasing him completely from her mouth to lick the underside of his sheath. "Oh. God, Michonne," Rick groaned again. Michonne felt herself becoming wet from the evidence of Rick's obvious pleasure. She lingered at his hanging sac for a moment, swiping her tongue back and forth against him. Rick's hips came up, plunging toward the sky as he lost himself in the pleasure of it. With his eyes shut tightly, he tried to hold on as long as he could.

Michonne licked her way back up his member and took him into her mouth once again. Both of Rick's hands came to rest on the back of her head this time. He couldn't resist pumping into her mouth. Michonne stilled for him so that he was in control for a while. Feeling him getting close though, she pressed her hand gently into his stomach signaling for him to let her take the reins once again. With all of his willpower, Rick did so. He put his arms to each side and gripped the blanket as Michonne sank her lips all the way to the base of his member. "Fuck!" Rick groaned, gripping the blanket tighter. Michonne stayed there and Rick could feel her throat tightening and loosening around his hardness. It was the finishing blow. He came.

Michonne took everything he gave and when he was done she slowly slid off of him.

She moved to the side of him and laid down once again. It took Rick a while to gather his wits about him and return his breathing to normal. When he did, he pulled his pants up, rebuckled them, and turned on his side to face Michonne. Her bottom half was faced toward him and her torso was twisted to the ceiling. She seemed to be thinking about something as she blinked into the darkness. "Do you want me to do you now?" Rick asked. He would hate to think that he took all that pleasure she just gave him and not give her anything in return. But Michonne shook her head.

"I finished when you did," she said quietly.

"You mean you came?" Rick asked. He was surprised. He thought back to her not allowing him to kiss her. The fact that she could reach climax just from giving him pleasure had to mean something. Didn't it?

Rick moved forward and draped his arm across her stomach. When she didn't move, Rick was afraid she might push him away but he was relieved when she turned and moved closer to his chest instead.

"Why won't you let me kiss you?" Rick asked.

"It's because you haven't shaved," Michonne responded. "I can't even find your mouth in there."

"Haha," Rick said. He knew she was just deflecting but he would let it go for now. Hopefully she would tell him when the time was right. Better yet, hopefully she would let him kiss her when the time was right.

"...Are you gonna sleep here tonight?" Michonne asked.

"If it's okay with you, I would like to," Rick replied.

Michonne was silent for a moment. "What if Carl finds you here?"

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Rick asked.

Michonne looked up at him. Rick couldn't help noticing how close her face was. If he moved now, he could kiss her before she even knew what was happening. He controlled himself. "Are you trying to become my boyfriend, Rick Grimes?" She asked the question teasingly but it was a thought that she was genuinely curious about. Just where were they going with this?

"What would you do if I was?" Rick asked flirtatiously.

There they were again. Those damn butterflies. Michonne lifted Rick's hand off of her waist and held it up in the air. His wedding ring glinted in the moonlight once again. "You have your hangups the same as I do, Rick," Michonne whispered. "Now's not the time for us."

"Then when is?" Rick asked, trying not to feel hurt by her blunt observations.

"I don't know," Michonne answered seriously. "Maybe never."

"You're a very difficult woman, Michonne," Rick said with a sigh, pulling her close to him again.

"I know," Michonne replied. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. That's why I-" Rick stopped himself. "That's part of your charm."

Michonne wondered what Rick had been about to say but she didn't dwell on it. "I never knew I had charm."

"Well, you do," Rick said. Michonne was flush against his chest and the warmth they shared was something Michonne wanted to revel in forever.

"...So are you going to sleep here tonight?" she asked again, though, after a while.

"...Yes," Rick replied after thinking about it.

"...Please don't."

Rick chuckled. Michonne might be the most complicated woman he would ever meet but he wasn't going to get upset about it. Like he said, it was part of her charm. She was a woman who did things in her own time and he was sure that she would start cutting him some slack soon. He hoped so anyway. At this point, he was just happy that he had gotten _this _far with her. "Okay," he said. He stood up immediately because if he stayed there a second longer she would have to be forcing him out with the pointy end of her katana. "Good night, honey."

He could literally feel Michonne cringe in the darkness and he chuckled to himself. If sweetness was her weakness, he was going to keep using it against her. "Don't do that," he heard her say before exiting.

Michonne was left lying on the blanket that Rick vacated. She moved into his spot, hoping to linger in his warmth a little while longer.

Hi, guys. Thanks for the reviews. Some of you asked for girls' bonding time so I'll put that in the next chapter. There was a little bit of a thing with the girls in this chapter but I'll give you something better a little later. And there will be more Michonne and Carl too and of course more Rick and Michonne. Let me know what you thought and think and hope for. Reviews keep me going! -


	7. Chapter 7

- Nay766 – Yeah, there's a Jessie in the comics and she gets involved with Rick. It's short-lived, but I definitely don't want to see it in the show.

FlynnR – Thank you, thank you, thank you for the review! I loved your compliments but I loved your constructive criticism as well! I will definitely keep what you said in mind. Maybe I will write from Rick's POV for a while at some point. I mostly just wanted to bring a bit of relaxation and playfulness in because things are probably going to get angsty for a while in the near future. Thank you again! Love, love, love long reviews! -

Chapter 7: Beginnings

"Everyone set whatever you food you have out on the table," Rick instructed. He had gathered everyone around a table on the first floor of the library at 6AM with their supply bags so that he could determine how long they were set for and if they needed to make a supply run. Everyone, sleepy and groggy, began to make rattle around in their bags for whatever food they had. Cans of soup, vegetables, and other assorted things began to come out onto the table.

Daryl pulled out a separate trash bag and pulled out a dead squirrel, flopping it on the table. Maggie, who sat in front of her, scrunched her nose up at it. "How long has that been in there?" she asked suspiciously.

Daryl shrugged. "I almost forgot about it."

"Come on, Daryl," Rick admonished quietly. "Get that off the table."

Daryl shrugged again and put it back into his bag. From his expression, Michonne could tell that even if no one else was interested, he was going to be feasting on squirrel later that night. She had to fight a smile. Rummaging in her own bag, she tried to make sure that she had gotten everything. She purposefully looked over her stash of candy bars. That was her own personal stash and something she went out of her way to find for herself. She frowned when she saw that one of her Big Cats had been opened and half of it was gone. She looked up to see Carl smirking at her and her not-even-started investigation was over. He knew that she was going to realize it sooner or later. Michonne pointed two fingers at her eyes and then pointed them at Carl, giving a warning that she was watching him.

After everyone had put everything they had out there, it was clear that they only had enough food for about three days. That was great if it would only take three days for the herd to pass, but it would probably take longer. And since they didn't know when the herd would be passing by, it was best that they go out and make a supply run as soon as possible. Michonne assumed that was part of the reason that Rick had gotten everyone up so early. From how tired her eyes still felt, Michonne could assume that she had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep.

Rick announced what Michonne had already surmised. Believing that everyone should split up and find specific supplies, Rick made three separate supply run teams. He would take Tyreese, Glenn, and Noah to look for food. Daryl would take Tara and Rosita to look for any kind of water they could bottle and to siphon more gas just in case the group needed to make a run for it in the bus again. Of course, that team would be taking the vehicle. Michonne was sent with Maggie and Sasha to find toiletries and other needed, everyday supplies. Abraham was left with Jessie, Eugene, Gabriel, Carl, and Carol to watch over the library and Judith until everyone got back. Carl didn't complain about being left behind because he had a lot more comics to finish. The library was full of them.

"You want me to bring you back anything?" Michonne asked Carl as she got ready to leave.

Carl smirked. "A Rorshach action figure," he said, as if he had been preparing that answer for the next time she asked the question.

Michonne feigned nonchalance but inside she was wondering how in the hell she would find something like that. Lately, they had started a new game. Carl would give her almost impossible objects to find and bring back to him. If she managed to find it and bring it back, she won something (last time she had gotten a disgusted Carl to rub her feet). And if she wasn't able to find it, she had to give him something. "Okay," she said with a shrug, as if it would be the easiest thing to find.

"You _do _know who Rorshach is, don't you?" Carl asked, raising an eyebrow at how easily she accepted the challenge.

Michonne scoffed. "Please," she said, offended. "Don't insult my intelligence."

"Who is Rorshach?" Rick asked, walking in on the last part of their conversation.

Carl gave his dad a disappointed look and shook his head before simply walking away. Dumbfounded, Rick watched him go and then turned back to Michonne for an explanation. However, Michonne gave him a shrug and said simply, "Sorry. Not part of the club."

Rick chuckled in disbelief. "I can't believe two of my favorite people are shutting me out," he said. He made sure to keep his eyes on Michonne's face and was rewarded when she paused in her actions at his words and glanced shyly up at his face before she finished loading her pack with anything she may need if she happened to get caught out there longer than expected, then she slung it onto her back. Rick smiled, proud of himself. He could watch her shy away from him all day long. It was cute. She was a tigress when threatened but merely a kitten when stroked. "I just wanted to say goodbye before we both left," Rick said in good spirits. "I'll be seeing you later tonight."

Michonne nodded. "I'll see you later, Rick." When he turned and left, Michonne watched him go. He seemed to be in somewhat of a good mood. She had expected his bitterness from finding out there was no cure to last for at least a good long while. It both bemused and sent waves of envy through Michonne. Rick seemed to be making great strides toward healing while she was still too afraid to let herself feel anything fully. She sighed and headed out to meet Maggie and Sasha. It was time to gather supplies now. She could focus on Rick later.

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Maggie, Michonne, and Sasha were walking down the pavement of the street. It was still early morning so it wasn't hot or anything. Surprisingly, they hadn't seen many straggling walkers. It was a nice relief but Michonne couldn't shake the feeling that it was like the calm before the storm. What if the other walkers could somehow sense the larger herd that was closing in on them? What if they were going to join them? It may have been a silly thought but Michonne wondered these things. She had spent a lot of time walking among the walkers alone so she had definitely had time to wonder.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Maggie suddenly asked.

"What?" Michonne wondered aloud. "The lack of walkers?" Maybe Maggie had been thinking the same things she had.

"No," Maggie said. "Well, yeah. That too. But I'm talking about us. Ain't it strange that we probably wouldn't have met each other at all if it wasn't for everything that's happened? The apocalypse, I mean?"

'Oh,' Michonne thought. She was actually starting a conversation that didn't directly involve the mission that they were currently on.

"If meeting all of you is the only sacrifice I had to make to not be in this fucked up world, I'd make it in a heartbeat," Sasha said. "...No offense."

Michonne raised her eyebrows and looked down at her feet as she walked. Sasha was still feeling upset about Bob so Michonne wasn't going to blame her for anything she said. But Michonne wondered how she would feel having never met Rick. Or Carl. Or Daryl. Before, she definitely would not have traveled in the same social circles as them. And she probably never would have talked to Daryl even if she would have run into him for some reason or another. The thought of them interacting before the apocalypse was almost laughable.

If the apocalypse had never happened, she'd still be with Mike. They'd still be happy. They'd still have Andre. She'd never know how deep her rage could go. Michonne felt herself going to a dark place and she wondered why Maggie even brought up this depressing topic.

"If the apocalypse had never happened, I never would have met Glenn," Maggie said. "I probably never would have given him a second glance over those douchebags I used to date in college."

"But you wouldn't miss him," Sasha said. "Because you never would have known that you could've had him."

Michonne glanced over at Sasha. She was definitely missing Bob fiercely.

The atmosphere got heavy and silent. "...I wonder if any of us ever got close to each other in the old world and didn't even know it..." Maggie said, staying on the topic.

"I think I would have remembered if I'd run into Eugene," Michonne said, finally contributing to the conversation. Maggie and Sasha both looked back at her with questions in their eyes, wondering why she would remember Eugene out of everybody. "That mullet," Michonne explained.

Maggie and Sasha finally broke into smiles. "What is with that anyway?" Maggie asked as they continued down the street. "Do you think he wears his hair like that just to be different?"

"He doesn't need a hairstyle to be different; he's already strange enough," Sasha interjected.

Michonne chuckled. "The real question isn't why he had the mullet in the first place," Michonne said. "It's why does he _still _have it? Who's enabling him by continuing to trim that thing?"

Maggie gave a full laugh before she was shushed by both Sasha and Michonne, as they feared their walker-free morning would be interrupted. "Sorry," Maggie said apologetically. "But you're right." She glanced back at Michonne. "It's probably Rosita who cuts his hair for him though. Abraham probably told her to do everything she could to make sure Eugene stayed happy."

Sasha's smile died for a moment when she was reminded of what had recently happened. "That's pretty fucked up. How Eugene lied like that."

Maggie nodded. "I can't really blame him though," she said. "Have you seen the guy? It's a wonder he survives everyday social situations! But the apocalypse?" She shook her head. "He did what he had to do. Abraham was capable; he wasn't. I ain't sayin' it was right but...We've all done things in the name of survival."

Michonne could only agree silently.

"So what did the both of you do?" Maggie asked. "In the old world? It's no secret what I did. I was a country girl. Livin' on my father's farm. Goin' to college whenever it came around. I don't know about you two though."

"I was an army brat," Sasha said. "Our dad would drag Tyreese and me from city to city, country to country because he kept being moved from base to base. Of course, this made me rebellious so I did everything I could to get out from under my dad's super structured life. I was going out and partying every night in my teenage years and that didn't change much when I moved out and got a job of my own as a waitress. I was just..." she shrugged. "Livin' I guess...Doin' what I wanted. Between me and Tyreese, who never even wanted to hurt a fly, my father was pretty disappointed. He was hoping that at least one of us would follow in his footsteps but...it didn't happen." She looked down at her combat boots and the rifle she was carrying before chuckling. "Until now. Life sure can deal you a pretty screwed-up, shitty hand."

Maggie nodded, then they both turned to Michonne, waiting for her to share. They were both curious about what kind of person the warrior woman had been before this. She was such a mystery that it was hard to tell.

"I was an art dealer," Michonne answered after a moment.

Maggie felt her jaw drop. "Whaat?" Sasha said. "You mean you weren't born cuttin' off people's heads and stuff?"

Michonne chuckled. "Not quite."

"So...what does an art dealer do?" Maggie asked, turning to walk backwards so that she was facing Michonne. This was the first time she was hearing anything about the woman's past. "You were, like...into paintin's and stuff?"

Michonne chuckled again. "Basically. My boyfriend and I owned a gallery and we would go around looking for artwork that we wanted to exhibit."

Maggie gasped. "That's classy," she said. Sasha gave a nod of agreement. "You're classier than me," Maggie admitted before turning back to face the front. "I don't know nothin' about no artwork."

"So how did you get into sword-fighting?" Sasha asked. "That a requirement for owning an art gallery?"

"No. It's a requirement for the world we're living in now though." A serious atmosphere came over them once again. "I had done a little bit of fencing in college. For fun," Michonne explained. "But when the world changed, I decided to pick up a sword and get a little more serious with it." She shrugged. "And that's that."

The three women continued to walk down the street, reflecting on their lives past and present until Maggie stopped in front of a building that was both a salon and barbershop. "It's been forever since I've gotten my hair done," she said wistfully.

"I hear ya," Sasha said. She looked around at the other two and nodded toward the place. "Y'all wanna go in? We might be able to find shampoo or something that we can use."

Maggie nodded. "That would be a treat," she said, going inside eagerly. "My hair is startin' to dry out and smell somethin' awful."

Michonne followed the two women inside and began to look around. She was surprised that it wasn't more trashed. There were only a few loose pieces of paper on the floor and some knocked over products – from past lootings perhaps – but otherwise, it looked fine. Casually, she lifted some bottles off the shelf here and there to see if she could find anything worthwhile. On the other side of the salon, Maggie was taking a different approach. She was shoveling items into her bag one after the other.

"Do you really need all that?" Sasha asked Maggie.

"Some of it is for Glenn and other people at the library as well," she explained. "We're all starting to look a little greasy up top. Or like we've got a rat's nest going on. Plus, it won't hurt to get some for the future."

Sasha shrugged and nodded. She noticed a shelf of hand softening lotion and made a beeline for it. Not really needed but, hey, it was a luxury. She stuffed a couple of bottles into her bag.

And Michonne saw something that caught her interest as well. She smiled when she saw a barber's kit setting out on the shelf. It was a black line of cloth that held items such as a couple of variations of razors, scissors, shaving cream, and aftershave lotion. 'Perfect,' she thought, picking it up and packing it into her bag.

"What did you find?" Maggie asked, noticing Michonne.

"Shaving tools," Michonne answered. "For Rick."

Maggie and Sasha threw each other knowing glances. Michonne didn't notice because she had moved on to another shelf, looking for anything interesting there.

Maggie cleared her throat. She decided she would ask since they were already getting more out of Michonne than they normally did. She and the rest of the group had already noticed that there seemed to be something different between their enigmatic leader and the silent warrior ever since they had reunited with the group but no one had said anything due to more pressing matters such as possibly being eaten by cannibals and running away from hordes of walkers. But since they were on the subject... "He _is _lookin' a little rough these days," Maggie segued in normally. Casually. "I never really liked a man with facial hair. You?"

Michonne put the bottle of hair product she was looking at back on the shelf. The warning signals her body got whenever she felt like she was being led into a trap began to go off. "Can Glenn even grow facial hair?" Michonne asked curiously, focusing on that aspect of the conversation instead of the question Maggie had just asked.

Sasha laughed and Maggie got defensive. "Yes, he can grow facial hair!" she said. "It just...takes a while." Michonne and Sasha chuckled anew. "He's got a little bit of a mustache comin'...Sorta..." Michonne and Sasha shook with laughter and finally Maggie joined them. "Okay," she finally said as their laughter died down. "Y'all stop. He does the best he can."

"That's all we can ask," Sasha said. Suddenly serious again, she looked at Maggie. "You're lucky to have him," she said.

"I know," Maggie said, wishing she could take away the pain Sasha was feeling. "I'm sorry about Bob."

"I am too," Sasha said, pushing away from the counter she was leaning against. "But I'm also happy that I had him. At least for a little while." She chewed on her tongue thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again. "Although the world would have been better, it really would have been a shame to not meet all of you in the non-apocalyptic life." Michonne and Maggie each gave her a small smile. "Okay," Sasha said after a moment, keeping her emotions at bay. "Are we ready to go look for some more stuff."

"Yeah," Maggie said. "Talking about shaving supplies, I realized that I needed to find my own..."

"Y'all still shave in the apocalypse?" Sasha asked as they walked out the door.

"Yeah," Maggie responded. "You don't?"

"Hell no." Maggie and Michonne chuckled. "But then again I don't grow much hair in the first place."

"Neither do I," Michonne offered.

"Screw you guys..." Maggie retorted, playfully bitter. "If I didn't shave, I'd be a bear by now..."

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Rick, Noah, and Glenn were also having some luck with finding a couple of commodities that they hadn't been able to partake of for a while. "Twinkies!" Glenn yelled out, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he held up the full box. They were in a small gas station store, poring over items that had already been picked over. It was a surprise that they were finding anything.

Rick looked up from where he was squatted with interest. Twinkies. He knew two people with an unmatchable sweet tooth who would love those. 'Not part of the club, my ass,' he thought as he stood up, determined to get his hands on those snack cakes somehow. "Glenn..." he said, nodding him over. Noah didn't seem very interested in their find so Rick wasn't too worried about him at the moment. Glenn came over with the snack cakes in his hands, smiling gleefully.

"What is it?" Glenn asked.

"What do I gotta offer you to get you to give me that box of cakes?" Rick asked conspiratorially.

Glenn's face fell when he realized what Rick was after. "The Twinkies?" Glenn asked. "You want the Twinkies? The whole box?"

Rick nodded. "The whole box," he affirmed. Carl and Michonne would be on their best behavior as long as he had something to bait them with so the more he could get, the better.

Glenn thought about things that he might possibly want to trade for a box of Twinkies. He couldn't think of anything. It was no good. He shook his head. "I can't do that, Rick," Glenn said seriously. The atmosphere was akin to that of a life or death situation. "You know I can't do that." Rick squinted his eyes and tilted his head, displeased. "Why can't we just share 'em?" Glenn asked. "With everybody? It won't be fair for one person to have these."

"There are seventeen of us," Rick said. "And there are twelve Twinkies in that box. You wanna be responsible for deciding who gets a Twinkie and who doesn't? That would cause a lot of arguing and hurt feelings, don't you think?"

"Seventeen? Wait- You're counting Judith. Judith doesn't count!" Glenn fired back.

Rick shrugged. "The numbers still don't add up," he said.

Glenn sighed. "Come on, man," he said. "If I bring these back to the group, everyone will owe me for a week! What are you even gonna do with twelve Twinkies?"

"How about this?" Rick said, tired of proffering over a box of snack cakes. "You give me that box of Twinkies and I'llowe you for _two _weeks." Interest flashed across Glenn's eyes. "Whatever favor you ask me to do, I'll do it," Rick pushed further.

Glenn tried to keep his smile at bay. There were a lot of late night guard duty shifts or unscheduled supply runs that he'd rather not make, and if he could pass those off to Rick whenever he wanted...Glenn's interest grew. He didn't know why Rick was suddenly placing such high stakes on a box of Twinkies but he'd take it. "A month," Glenn said instead. "And I get two of these."

Rick sighed. A month of doing Glenn favors for ten Twinkies...He pondered it. It was a tough decision. But then he thought about how Carl and Michonne would react. They'd be ecstatic. He might even get a kiss. "Fine," he said. "A month of favors for the Twinkies and you can keep two."

"Yes!" Glenn said with a smile. He ripped open the box, took two out, and then put them into his bag before handing Rick the rest of them. Rick took the box and did the same, dumping the rest out of the box and into his bag.

"Good," Noah said from his spot in the store. "Now since you two are done stroking each other off, come look what I found."

Rick and Glenn moved to the back of the store to see what it was that Noah sounded so excited about. When they reached him and saw what he saw as well, their mouths dropped open. A slow chuckle built in Rick's throat and Glenn laughed. "No way!" Glenn said. "It's like Christmas."

In front of them, was a storage room with food. It had already been pillaged and taken from so that only a small fraction of what had been in there was still there but that small fraction was enough to feed Rick's group for about two months.

"The door was hidden behind this shelf," Noah said, gesturing at a display shelf that had long been depleted of contents. "But I just moved it and...voila. The door was unlocked and everything. I think some people had probably been here before, regularly taking from here or something."

"Good work," Rick said, clapping Noah on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's gather as much of it as we can. We may need to come back later to get the rest."

The three began to gather the food; they had been at it for about twenty minutes when Noah announced that he was going to go to the bathroom to take a piss. With Noah gone, Glenn and Rick were just finishing up packing their bags when they heard a vehicle. Startled apprehension settled over the both of them and their hearts sank when they heard the vehicle stop right outside the door of the store that they were in. 'Fuck!' Rick thought. He wasted no time in pushing the storage room door until only an inch of space was left to peer out from. His eye snapped to the bathroom that he knew Noah to be in. He hoped wildly that the boy had somehow heard the vehicle and would stay inside until the men were gone.

Two men stepped out of the black vehicle and walked into the store. One, a black-haired man with a five o' clock shadow and blue eyes, had a pistol tucked into one side of his black jeans and a knife in the other. The other one, another black-haired man who looked slightly younger and had brown eyes, only had a gun. He was holding it in his hand.

"What do we do?" Glenn whispered, coming up behind Rick. Rick put his finger over his mouth, signaling Glenn to be quiet. The last thing he wanted was for these two men to notice them. His eyes flicked over to the bathroom once again.

"We'll just get some more food and then head back," the older man with the two weapons said. "Dale and Mick will be waitin' for us."

"Yeah, well, they can wait," the other one answered. "_I _still think we shoulda went through the cafeteria at that school back there." Rick tilted his head, listening. "It's better than putting all of our eggs in one basket."

"We wouldn't even have a basket if it wasn't for Mick," the first man replied. "So what he says goes. Besides...we don't need to find anymore food for months since we have this place." The two men began to walk towards the storage area.

'Shit!' Rick thought. He jerked out of the line of sight and slowly closed the door completely. 'They were coming to the store for this place! This was their stash! This group must have been eating out of this place for months! That's why the door was hidden...'

Rick looked around. There was no way they could just hide and expect to not be found. They had made too big of a dent in the food supplies. Anyone would know someone else had been there and the men would probably look until they found them. Hearing footsteps approach, Rick pulled his gun out and stood up. Glenn followed suit, grabbing his own gun from the waist of his jeans. He looked at Rick nervously and gripped his gun tighter, ready to get serious if things went in a bad direction. Rick put his hand on the doorknob. If he just opened the door quickly and took the two men out, it would be over before the men could even know what hit them. He tried to let Glenn know what his plan was through his eyes and then he began to turn the doorknob.

"Stop right there." Rick froze when he heard Noah's voice through the door.

"What the hell? Who are you?" the gruff-voiced older male spoke.

"Get away from the door and drop your weapons," Noah's voice said. Rick knew Noah must be holding them at gunpoint because from the sound of silence and shuffling footsteps, it seemed as if they were complying with his orders.

"You don't know what you're doing here, boy," the gruff voice spoke again.

"Oh, I think I do," Noah responded.

"What is this?" the other voice asked. "You tryin' to steal from us or somethin'? In case you haven't realized, you're outnumbered here."

Rick risked opening the door a crack and peeping out. The two men were now facing away from him, their hands in the air and their weapons on the ground. Noah was in front of them with his gun pointed. Seeing the advantage, Rick stepped out with his gun up. "No, he's not," he said. The two men tensed and tried to glance behind themselves without turning their heads, fearing that a sudden move might cause them to get shot. Glenn stepped out from behind Rick with his gun drawn as well.

Noah smirked. "Your move," he said.

A gunshot rang out and Noah's eyes widened as a bullet traveled through the back of his skull.

"No!" Rick yelled, pulling his trigger almost instantly, sending the younger man to the ground as a corpse just as Noah, himself, fell. Glenn followed suit a split second later, killing the older man before he could turn and grab his weapon. Neither Rick nor Glenn had much time to process what had happened before they were moving again. The only thing they could process was that two other men were stepping down from the vehicle that the previous men had come in before. There had been four of them.

"Get them!" one of the men shouted as he hurried into the store beside the other. Rick and Glenn ducked behind two separate shelves on either side of the store before one of the men came in with shots ringing out. When Rick heard a pause that indicated the man was looking for one of them to target, he stepped from behind the shelf to take a shot. He hit the man who had been firing in the shoulder.

The man grunted in pain but reacted with fast instinct. He raised his firing arm again and shot in Rick's direction. Rick stepped out of view just in time to see the wall behind him get splintered with the bullet that had been aimed for him. Another shot came in his direction and he could only assume the other guy had targeted him now too.

Glenn used their focus on Rick as an advantage and stepped out to place a bullet between the second guy's eyes. Hitting his target, he stepped back before the injured man could aim at him next.

Knowing that he was now at the losing end of things, the injured man fired off two more shots in both Rick's and Glenn's directions before he turned and began to run back toward the vehicle. Knowing he couldn't let him get away, Rick stepped out and shot him in the leg. Then, with purpose, he stalked forward and stood over the man. He had blue eyes and blonde hair. He looked to be about twenty. "Sorry," Rick said coldly before putting a bullet through the boy's brain. Realizing that having the car would be an asset, Rick patted the boy down until he found the keys.

With the keys in his hand, Rick walked back into the store to find Glenn standing over Noah's dead body. Rick didn't know the boy all too well but he regretted that he had to go like this. He didn't have time to grieve though. Those bullets probably called every walker to them that was in a two-mile radius. "Let's get the food and go," Rick said.

"Should we take him back and bury him?" Glenn asked, as he followed Rick to get the food.

"If you can get him into the car in the next two seconds, yes," Rick said. "If not, don't bother."

Rick gathered the food while Glenn dragged Noah's body into the vehicle. The two of them set out for the library once more just as a throng of walkers began to meander down a nearby street.

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Michonne's group and Daryl's group had made it back to the library. They were all simply waiting for Rick's group to get back.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to find it," Carl said with a smirk.

Michonne gave Carl a look that said 'watch it'. "Hey," she said. "I still have two more tries. Remember? I always get three tries."

Carl shrugged. "It's not gonna help. You might as well just forfeit now."

"Never," Michonne replied.

"I already have your penalty for losing decided," Carl bragged.

"What's that gonna be?" Michonne asked.

"I'm not gonna tell you. It's gonna be a surprise. But I _can _say-" Michonne never knew what he was gonna say because Rick and Glenn came back at that time. Keeping an eye out at the window, Maggie had called 'They're back!' when she saw a vehicle approaching and could see Rick and Glenn through the front windshield. Tyreese and Sasha had opened the door for them. When they stepped inside, Michonne could tell almost immediately that something was wrong. The lightness that Rick had had that morning was gone. His steps were heavy.

"Noah is dead," Rick announced without preamble. "He's in the car; we have to bury him."

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Michonne found Rick later that night leaning against a shelf of books. He had already explained to everyone about what had happened at the gas station store and then he had gone out and helped Glenn bury the body. Father Gabriel had actually come out of his frightened shell enough to give some sort of structure to the burial process. Michonne was about to approach Rick but stopped in her tracks when she saw Jessie approach him first. She was holding a can of hot stew and slid down to sit beside Rick. Michonne watched curiously from the side.

"Here," Jessie said, holding the can out to him. "I know you must be hungry."

Rick didn't respond for a while until he finally said, "Thank you, but no."

Jessie sighed and took his hand. Pressing the warm can of stew to his palm, she said, "Eat."

Rick closed his fingers around the can. He knew that this probably was the only way to get Jessie to go away satisfied. When he didn't say or do anything else, Jessie sighed again before leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek. Startled, Rick pulled away. "If you need anything, I'll be around Rick," Jessie said before getting up to leave. Rick stared after her, perplexed.

Michonne scowled after Jessie, wondering what that was all about. Deciding not to dwell on it at the moment, Michonne went and took the spot next to Rick. Thinking it was Jessie coming back, Rick turned to tell her he wasn't in the mood but he stopped when he realized it was Michonne. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Michonne asked.

"No," Rick answered. More and more he was realizing that shit happened in this world. Bad shit. And it was becoming easier and easier to accept it. Maybe he was even starting to expect it. There was nothing to talk about. It was just the way things were.

They sat in silence for a moment longer. "Do you want to forget about it?" Michonne asked, placing her hand on his thigh.

"No," Rick answered. "Not right now."

"...Do you want to be alone?" Michonne asked gently.

Rick looked over at her, meeting her wide, concerned eyes in the dark. "No," he said, putting his hand on top of hers.

Michonne smiled and she felt the deepest urge to kiss him. Fighting the urge though she just leaned forward and put her forehead against his before settling against his shoulder. Her thoughts went back to Sasha, talking about how she had been glad she had been with Bob even for a short while. "Sasha, Maggie, and I were talking about how none of us probably would have known each other if it wasn't for the apocalypse," Michonne said, talking into the darkness. "What do you think?"

"Mmm..." Rick thought. He was enjoying the feel of Michonne's head on his shoulder. He found something to wonder at with this woman everyday. He would have never expected this gesture of affection before. "That's probably true," he said.

"That's strange isn't it?" Michonne said.

"Yeah..." Rick answered. He thought about never knowing Maggie, Glenn, Daryl...Michonne...It was definitely strange. "What else did y'all talk about?" he asked.

"We talked about what we were before all of this..." Michonne became curious about something as she spoke and shifted her head on his shoulder. "How old are you, Rick?" she asked. "Just today I was thinking that I don't even know how old you are."

Rick chuckled. "How old do you think I am?" Rick asked.

Michonne lifted her head from his shoulder and turned to study him in the darkness. "Older than me," she concluded.

"Is that a bad thing?" Rick asked.

"Mm-mmm," Michonne responded with a smile.

"How old are _you_?" Rick asked.

Michonne chuckled. "Are you sensitive about your age or something?" she asked. "Fine. I'll answer first. Before the world changed, I was thirty-two. So I'm around...thirty-four now."

"You're not that much younger than me," Rick said. "How do you look so much better than I do?"

Michonne chuckled. "So how old?" she asked. Their fingers were now intertwined on Rick's lap.

"I'm thirty-six," Rick answered.

Michonne nodded. "I'm glad to hear I'm not dating an old man," she said, placing her head back on his shoulder. It wasn't until the words had passed from her lips that she realized the weight of them. She froze.

"Is that what we're doing?" Rick asked, surprised to hear her say it. "Dating?"

Michonne felt her heart pounding in her chest. "I don't know why I said that," she said, embarrassed.

"I don't either," Rick said. "'Cause we're not dating." Michonne felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Not until I get a kiss," Rick finished.

Michonne laughed. And then Rick laughed. And he wondered how a day could be so horrible yet so fantastic at the same time.

- Wow, guys! I loved the scene with Michonne fighting with the baby strapped to her back in the midseason finale! That was great! I also noticed, though, that in the show Rick is the one that's becoming more hardened and savage while Michonne is the one warming up and losing her layers more. I may try to incorporate Rick's growing savagery back into the story some. But with the plans I have for this story that may not be possible. I don't know.

The next chapter is gonna be a happy time but the chapters after that are probably gonna be rough waters guys. Giving you a warning ahead of time. Let me know what you think! -


	8. Chapter 8

- This is gonna be a down-time chapter. Gonna respond to some reviews. :)

SmokingArrowDea – Thank you. I know. Poor Beth. I feel so bad for the Bethyl shippers. The writers were so cruel by giving them hope and then snatching it right from under them. I hope that doesn't happen with Richonne. I would bawl.

Lilmissbookworm3071 – Thank you. I try very hard to attempt to have the characters respond to situations in a way that's somewhat true to their character. That's very important to me. And yeah...Jessie. Hmmm...How will Michonne lay claim to Rick? Or will she at all? Will she not even see Jessie as a threat in that department? I'm playing with these thoughts. I also plan to read some of your fanfiction, btw. I just haven't gotten around to it.

Nadineoo – Thank you for mentioning the Twinkies! I loved that part as well. I was smiling as I wrote it. And gosh! Thanks for saying I write action well! Truthfully, I was struggling a bit; I'm glad it came out pretty smooth in the end (the writing, not the death)

Siancore – You're right about Rick's personality. He's got so many sides to who he is and can

be. Thanks for the review!

FlynnR - :D Another long review. Thank you, thank you. About what you said about

Michonne being Rick's "safety net", oh yeah. I think she's definitely a symbol of

safety and security for Rick because she tends to have her shit together in a world

that's just not...together. He knows that she can handle whatever comes and that

helps him keep his shit together as well.

Alright. On to the story. Sorry for the long responses. I just love reviews. XD -

Chapter 8: Growth

The group awoke the next morning to rain pattering down on the rooftops and pavement outside. After the group sat various found items like buckets, bottles, and an old mop bucket outside to collect rainwater to use for bathing and drinking later, the atmosphere in the library was muted and quiet. Due to the successful supply runs yesterday, no one had any pressing matters to get to. Daryl, Tyreese, and Sasha were going around and checking fortifications once again. They were also keeping watch because they now knew that there were other people in this city and they probably wouldn't be very friendly if they were to find them. Rick had gone out the night before to drive the car he had taken out to a hidden spot so that they wouldn't be outed by the stolen vehicle if someone were to happen by. Keeping watch was the only job to be done though. Everyone else, now that things were settled for a little while, seemed to be processing things that had happened. Noah's death...Beth's death...

Maggie and Glenn were huddled over in a corner somewhere. It was the first time Maggie had allowed herself to actually stop and think about the loss of her sister. Tears streamed down her face as she cradled into Glenn's arms. Tara and Rosita were talking quietly over by the magazines. Carl was curled in a chair, reading. Gabriel was looking out of the window, seemingly deep in thought. Eugene was asleep, curled uncomfortably in a chair nearby and Judith was also taking a morning night in the basket Rick had prepared for her. Rick's eyes searched around for Michonne but he didn't see her in the immediate area. He went over to Daryl.

"Hey," he said. "How's it lookin'?"

"Good," Daryl responded. He looked around at everybody in the library and the atmosphere. "Looks like it's gonna be a slow, lazy day."

"Yeah," Rick said. A smile began to form on his lips. A lazy day was just what he needed. "It's been a while since I've experienced something like that."

"Hm," Daryl said, a smirk forming on his own lips. "Me too."

Rick clapped him on the shoulder, getting ready to leave. "Tell me when you wanna get off watch duty," he said. "I'll take over for you."

"Okay. Oh, and hey, Rick?" Rick paused in his tracks and turned to look at Daryl. "I saw Michonne go off with Abraham a lil' while ago. You might wanna watch him. He was flirtin' hardcore with your girl when we were out killin' walkers before seein' that herd."

Rick was slightly taken aback by what Daryl said. 'My girl?' he thought. A small smile lifted his lips again. He wouldn't even ask why Daryl was referring to Michonne in that way. Sometimes the archer picked up on things. He wasn't an idiot. "Is that right?" Rick asked, deciding to pay closer to Abraham in the future. "Thank you, brother."

"No problem," Daryl said. "Anytime." His job done, Daryl turned back to the window to settle in watching for trouble again.

Rick shook his head, bemused and decided he'd go off and try to find Michonne. If today continued to be like this, it would be a good day to get in some quality time. But first, he'd check in on Carl. "Hey," he said, walking over to the boy.

"Hey, dad," Carl said. He put his book down for a moment to focus on what his dad wanted.

"What ya readin'?" Rick asked. "Anything good?"

"Frankenstein," Carl said with a shrug and a nod. "It's pretty good." Carl was silent for a moment and then he asked the question he had been wondering for a while now. "Do you think this place that we're heading to is safe?" he asked.

Rick thought about it. Honestly, he couldn't say that he had high hopes. His hopes had been dashed too many times. But Michonne was right. They had to try. If not for themselves, at least for Carl and Judith. "I don't know," Rick said honestly. "But we're gonna find out."

"What if we get attacked and lose more people?" Carl asked. 'Like Beth...and Noah...' he thought.

"I won't allow that to happen," Rick said, an edge to his voice. "Not on my watch."

Carl nodded. It seemed like people just kept dying but he believed his father. His father knew what he was doing. "Okay," Carl said.

To get off of such a heavy topic, Rick changed the subject. "Hey," he said. "Did Michonne find that Rorshack action figure that you guys were talking about?"

"_Rorshach_, Dad," Carl said exasperated. "And no..." A proud smile lifted his lips. "I think she's avoiding me today 'cause she's afraid I'll make her trade me a Big Cat to get her off the hook." Carl shrugged. "It's okay though...I'm gonna wait until she admits defeat."

Rick smiled. "I have something better than a Big Cat and Rorshach combined," he said, thinking of his secret stash.

Carl looked at him curiously. "What?" he asked.

"Wait here." Rick walked away and came back a few minutes later. Carl could tell he held something in his hand but it was hidden from view. When Rick produced it a moment later, Carl's mouth fell open and his eyes widened.

"No way!" he exclaimed, a look of shocked excitement on his face.

"Shh!" Rick said, handing him the Twinkie. Carl took it gingerly and held it preciously. "There's more where that came from. But it has to stay a secret between us," Rick said. "Or other people will be jealous."

"Can I share with Michonne?" Carl asked.

Rick chuckled. That woman had really done a number on his son. Hell, she had done a number on him too. "Don't worry," Rick said. "She's gonna be in on it. In fact, I was just on my way to find her. Do you know where she is?"

Carl shook his head. "Thanks, Dad," Carl said with a smile on his face.

Rick smiled, happy to make his son smile, then he bid him farewell and went in search of Michonne.

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No one had seen Abraham and Michonne because they were on the roof. Michonne had found a set of stairs in the back that led straight up there. She had decided to check and see if any roaming walkers had somehow made their way up and she had grabbed Abraham to help her do it. And while she was up there, she decided to check for any weak spots. She didn't want there to be an incident like the one that had happened at the mall with walkers falling through the ceiling. The rain poured down on the two survivors as they worked. They didn't mind. It was refreshing. They hadn't found any walkers up here and as of yet, they hadn't found any weak spots either.

"I think we're good," Abraham said, walking through for the third time and putting his weight on certain parts as he went.

"I think so too," Michonne said, not finding anything herself. She looked toward the horizon where she knew the walkers would be coming from. "I hope the rain rots all of the skin off their bones," she said.

"I'm with ya on that one," Abraham said. "You ready to head back down?"

"Let's block off the stairs first," Michonne said, tearing her eyes away from the horizon. "Just in case."

"Good thinkin'" Abraham agreed. "How?"

"I think we have some chain in one of the bags," Michonne said. "We can just tie off the rails at the bottom and top of the stairs. That should slow them down if not completely stop them."

Abraham gave her an appraising look. "You're a resourceful woman," he said. "I like a resourceful woman. Why don't we cozy up inside after we get done up here?"

Michonne gave him a warning look that caused him to raise his hands. "Okay," he said. "Don't get your panties in a twist. Just joking wit' 'cha. I know you're already Rick's woman."

Michonne's brow furrowed. First Daryl. Then Tara and Rosita. Then Maggie. Now Abraham. Where was everybody getting all this information? And why were they so involved? Michonne opened her mouth to say that she wasn't Rick's woman but nothing came out because she really might be. She still wasn't sure yet. They had left things undefined last night after her little slip-up. She only shook her head. "Let's get these chains up," she said, hoping to get this done quickly. When it was done, she could find Rick and they could clear this up once and for all.

Abraham and Michonne found chains from previous fortifications in a bag. They went outside, finished the job of reinforcing the stairs in due time and then came back inside. Abraham went off to find them both some dry clothes while Michonne brought one of the mostly-filled buckets inside. She stood just inside the door and wrung out her dreadlocks, letting the war drip quickly into the bucket at her feet. It wasn't long until Abraham returned with a handful of clothes. He had already changed into a dry outfit. "The pants are Rosita's; the shirt is mine," Abraham explained. "She doesn't really like to share so don't take offense if she gets a little snippy when you bring 'em back."

Michonne tied her dried hair off into a ponytail at the back of her head and took her headband off. She took the clothes. 'The next time we're out on a run, I _really _need to find some extra clothes,' Michonne thought. Abraham bid Michonne farewell with some smart-ass comment and she went into a bathroom to change into the dry clothing. Abraham's shirt was so large on her that it fell to her knees. She tied up one side of the shirt with her headband so that it fit more snugly on her body and stopped right beneath her hips instead of at her knees. Then she pulled on Rosita's pants. Thankfully they were the capri pants and not the shorts. Michonne didn't think she would have been able to get into those. These were proving troublesome since she had more in the behind area than Rosita. She finally managed to squeeze into them and buckle them with difficulty. She came out of the bathroom barefoot and wearing those clothes, carrying her wet ones.

She found old coat hangars and found a place on the library wall to hang her wet clothes so that they could dry. And she set her wet shoes underneath them. She then went back to get the bucket she had left right inside and set about boiling the water. She had just finished boiling it and separating the water into separate containers when Rick found her.

"Hey," he said. "I've been looking all over for you." He took in Michonne's appearance. "New clothes?"

Michonne smiled and stood up, her sword in one hand and a can in another. "They're Abraham's," she said. "Well, the shirt is. The pants are Rosita's."

Rick frowned, remembering what Daryl had said. "Why are you wearing Abraham's shirt?"

"We were outside making sure walkers couldn't get up to the roof and we didn't bother to guard ourselves from the rain. He gave me dry clothes," she explained.

Rick sighed. "You couldn't wait until it stopped raining to do that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You gonna give me another lecture Rick?" she asked.

"No..." Rick said with another sigh.

"Good," Michonne said. "Come with me. I'm going to do something for you."

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Rick sat still in a chair in the middle of the third-floor office as Michonne snipped away at his beard with a pair of barber scissors. She stood behind him, her hands gentle as she tilted his head this way and that and brushed the separated hair away from his face. When she finished trimming his beard, she went over to the table and dipped a rag into warm water. "I think I like this," Rick said.

"What?" Michonne asked, coming to stand between his legs as she stroked his beard with the warm towel.

"You pamperin' me," Rick responded.

Michonne smiled. "Well, don't get used to it," she teased gently. "I'm only doing this 'cause I don't want Carl and Judith to get rug burns when you hug them."

Rick chuckled and let his hand rest on her thigh as Michonne finished wetting his beard and then began to run her fingers through it. She was just trying to make sure to get out all of the knots and kinks before going over his beard with the blade but Michonne found herself looking into Rick's blue eyes and becoming aroused. His hand on her thigh wasn't helping. He hooked the back of her leg and pulled her closer until she was almost falling over him into the chair. "I don't think that's the reason," Rick said.

"Then what's the reason?" Michonne asked.

"You like me," Rick said with an impish grin.

Michonne smiled and pushed away from Rick. She didn't bother to say anything. She just went to the table and put some shaving cream into her hands. Rick was pleased when she came back and took her previous position between his legs. His hand went right back to her thigh; he began to make a gentle trail up and down her leg with his fingers. "Will I get that kiss after you finish shaving me?" Rick asked.

Michonne laughed, swiping the shaving cream on until it fully covered his beard. "Is that all you can think about?" she asked.

"Yes," Rick answered bluntly, his eyes dropping to her lips just to push his point home.

Michonne felt her body respond with desire but again she didn't say anything. She just smiled and pushed away from him to go back to the table. She was trying to contain herself while she finished this task but Rick wasn't making that easy. She was starting to feel like she was about to unravel from the inside out. With a sigh, she picked up the old-fashioned blade, prepared it for shaving, and then walked toward Rick holding it in her hand. Rick's eyes flitted to it and he finally seemed to focus on something besides seducing her. "Have you ever used one of these before?" he asked.

Michonne stood over him. "Do you not trust me Rick?" she asked playfully, her eyes looking down into his.

That wasn't even a question that needed asking. Rick knew he could trust her with anything. "I trust you," Rick answered.

Again, Michonne felt her insides tumble from the deep, intimate way he was looking at her. "Good," she said, breaking her eyes away from his and going to the back of the chair. "So just sit there and let me do this." Rick felt her finger gently lift his chin, urging him to lean back. He did so. Michonne placed the blade at his neck and brought it upward across the underbelly of his chin in one, clean swipe. Her face was focused as she worked. "My dad taught me to shave like this," she offered. "He always said that it was good for a woman to know all kinds of different things."

Rick listened, grateful to hear more about her life in the old world. It made him feel warm whenever she chose to open up to him. "Your dad sounds like a wise man," Rick said while Michonne paused in her shaving of him to clean the blade on a nearby rag.

"Yeah, he was," Michonne said. "But he was also an asshole." She resumed shaving so Rick could only lift his eyebrows at that statement. "He made me pay every last cent of my tuition on my own," she explained. "Undergrad _and _grad school. Even though he easily had enough money to help me out."

Rick chuckled. "It sounds like your father was just trying to make you independent," he said.

"Maybe," Michonne said. "But he was still an asshole." She chuckled softly before her grin turned into a sad smile. "I miss him though. I loved him. He died before this all started." She finished making her last swipe on Rick's face before she was done. "Maybe that's for the best."

She cleaned off the blade and returned it to its pack. Rick watched her as he patted down his face with the rag she left nearby, getting rid of all of the extra shaving cream. He stroked his chin when he was done. It felt strange to be clean shaven again. "My parents were gone too," he said, watching Michonne from the back. "Before this all started. In a way they're the lucky ones...they didn't have to experience this."

"If it wasn't for Carl and Judith," Michonne said, her back still turned as she cleared up the shaving tools. "Would you even keep trying to survive?" Michonne asked.

Rick thought about it seriously. "I don't know..." he said. "I don't know if I could..."

Michonne nodded, thinking back to when she lost Mike, Terry, and Andre. "I don't know what kept me going," she finally said. "Maybe the injustice of it all? The anger? The pain?" She shook her head. "I think I was searching. I just had to prove to Mike. To prove to _myself_ that he was wrong. That there _were _things left in this godforsaken world worth living for. I found that with Andrea. With this group. I'm grateful." Michonne felt Rick's heat before she felt him put his arms around her. When he leaned his head forward to rest it on her shoulder, Michonne felt the smoothness of his cheek brush against her own. "That feels wonderful," she said, a smile coming to her face. She reached her hand up to stroke his other cheek before turning around to face him. "Let me see." When she saw the full view of him, Michonne's smile widened. "Good God, you're a handsome man, Rick."

"Does that mean I get a kiss now?" he asked.

He leaned forward and Michonne knew she didn't have a good reason to hold back anymore. If she was going to do this, it was time to go all-in. Rick paused, halfway to her lips, wanting to make sure that it was okay for him to keep going. It looked like it was; Michonne stood waiting for him with her head tilted upwards. Feeling his heart start to beat erratically, Rick began to move towards her lips again. He was excited; this meant that she was accepting him fully now, right? They were really going to do this. He pulled her chest against his, causing her to go up her toes a little bit. Michonne's arms were around him, gripping his shoulders while his arms were folded around her waist.

His forehead touched hers. And then his nose touched hers. He breathed with her. He was going to take this slow. Savor it. "This is crazy," Rick said, marveling at something. "I've never felt my heart beating so fast."

Michonne knew the feeling. She tilted her head in anticipation with her eyes closed. 'Kiss me Rick,' she urged silently. 'I'm ready.' Michonne stood higher on her tiptoes, reaching for his kiss as her arms slid around his neck. Their lips brushed when...

A knock sounded at the door. They broke apart. "Hey Rick?" Daryl's voice called. "Y'all in here?" He moved over to the window and saw Rick and Michonne standing inside, looking thrown off about something. "Hey, can I come in?"

Irritated, Rick moved to the door with a huff and opened it. "What is it?" he asked shortly.

"I gotta take a shit," Daryl said. "Stand watch for me while I'm gone, will ya?"

Michonne closed her eyes with a sigh. They had been interrupted because of this. She put her hands on her hips and tried not to be disappointed when she heard a disgruntled Rick reluctantly agree.

"Thanks brother," Daryl said, running off to take a dump the moment he heard Rick's agreement.

"No problem..." Rick growled under his breath. "_Brother._" A moment passed and then Rick looked over his shoulder at Michonne. He cleared his throat. "We'll continue this later. Don't go anywhere," he said. 'And don't change your mind,' he thought inwardly.

Michonne smiled. "I'll be here," she said.

Rick gave a nod, a mix of happiness and chagrin ghosting his face. "I'll be right back." He left and Michonne blinked, thinking about what she was about to start with Rick. 'How do we go about letting Carl know,' she wondered.

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The rain continued to pour down as Michonne waited for Rick. She decided to wait just outside the office and work on her sword work so that she didn't frustrate herself too much thinking about what would happen when Rick got back. She had just finished some basic movements, sheathed her sword, and sat down on a table that someone had pushed right underneath the office window, when she saw Jessie over in a corner of the third floor room. She was leaning against a wall and seemed to be thinking about something intensely. Her face was drawn into a concentrated frown. Michonne studied her for a moment before deciding to get up and talk to her.

Jessie noticed Michonne sauntering over to her and she pulled her expression into one of acknowledgment. "Hey," Jessie said.

Michonne sat down on yet another table and placed her feet on two separate chairs. Her sword hung between her knees. "Noah's gone so you're the only one that can get us to Alexandria now," Michonne said by way of greeting.

Jessie blinked, wondering where this was going. "Yeah," she said. "I guess so."

"Can we trust you?" Michonne asked bluntly.

Jessie met Michonne's eyes and made sure to speak sincerely. "I'm not here to hurt the group," she said, her eyes wide, her voice strong.

Michonne squinted. She seemed to be sincere. So why was Michonne feeling like this? Michonne nodded. "Fair enough," she said. That's all she needed. She jumped down from the table, taking her sword with her. She thought about the night before and stopped in her tracks. "And Jessie?" she said, turning to look over her shoulder. Jessie turned to give her attention. "Stay away from Rick."

Jessie watched her saunter away again and sighed. She had been telling the truth when she said she didn't want to hurt the group. Why should she? They weren't a problem. But Michonne was. Jessie watched the woman begin to go through her sword exercises again. She knew courting Rick would have to go slow because he seemed to be the gentlemanly type – he just had a no-nonsense way of handling business and that's what made her admire him and made him valuable – yes, she had known the courting would be slow. But when she first found out about his and Michonne's relationship, she hadn't expected it to be anything more than two people needing physical release. He still wore his wedding ring, for God's sake. But she had seen the way Rick stared after the sword wielding woman a second longer than necessary every time she left a room. The way he brightened up whenever the woman was around. There was much more than sex between them. And she had to strike while neither of them really knew what they had...Or she had to get Michonne out of the picture. Somehow. Michonne's sword sliced through the air.

She just didn't know how.

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Rick got back to the office and noticed that a blanket now covered the window. He smirked. Michonne was a quick thinker. He walked into the office, closing and locking the door behind him. Michonne was lounging on the couch with her hand behind her head, reading a book. She set the book aside when Rick came through the door. He was carrying a bag and had a cocky smile on his face.

"Why the bag?" Michonne asked. She didn't want to admit that she felt like a little girl who was about to get a pleasant surprise from her father's briefcase but that's exactly what she felt like.

"I have something for you," Rick said.

Interest peaked. Michonne sat up from her lounging position. "What is it?" she asked.

Rick knelt down in front of her. "Close your eyes," Rick said.

Michonne did so. She heard movement, a rustling sound like the sound of a bag and then nothing. She felt Rick's hand on her knee and she smiled with anticipation. "What's happening?"

"Open your mouth," Rick said.

Michonne fought the urge to open her eyes. This sounded kind of kinky... "...Rick," Michonne said. She was into being adventurous but...

Rick chuckled. "It's nothing like you're thinking," he said. "Open your mouth."

'O-kay...' Michonne thought. She opened her mouth.

Rick slowly pushed a small portion of the Twinkie he had opened inside of her mouth. He saw her eyes scrunch tightly for a moment before clearing again. She had no idea what was in her mouth. Rick chuckled. "Bite down," he said.

Michonne sank her teeth slowly into the oily bread and when she realized it was, indeed, food in her mouth she finished the bite. When the taste of the sweet filling hit her tastebuds, her eyes popped open and her hand went to her mouth. "...Rick!" she said, in wonder. Rick laughed. It was the exact reaction he had hoped for and better. She was ecstatic. "Rick!" she said again as she chewed. Her eyes went to the bitten Twinkie in his hand. "Where did you get this?" she asked.

"Found them when we went on the food run yesterday," Rick said. He decided he wouldn't mention how he had had to bargain them away from Glenn.

"Them?" Michonne asked. "There's more than this one?" She took the rest of the Twinkie that Rick held out to her.

"Yep. And they're all in this bag." As soon as he said it, Rick knew he would have to hide the stash. It wasn't that he thought Michonne would steal them but...he thought _maybe _she would steal them. He couldn't have that. He needed her to know that he had something she wanted.

Michonne finished off the rest of the Twinkie in good time. "Has Carl had one?" she asked.

Rick found himself chuckling once again. "You two really have a club going, don't you?" He nodded. "I gave Carl one this morning."

Michonne smiled. "I wish I could have seen his face."

"He was definitely happy about it," Rick said, remembering his son's excitement.

"Is he reading?" Michonne asked. She was still tasting the aftertaste of the sweet cake on her tongue. Now that it was gone she wished that she had savored it more. But Rick had said he had more. And she was sure he would give her another one soon. She watched him move up to the couch to sit beside her. Right now, he was a very handsome man.

"Yeah," Rick answered. He was feeling proud of himself. They hadn't had any incidents so far today and he had made both Michonne and Carl smile. He took Michonne's chin between his forefinger and his thumb and leaned forward.

Michonne closed her eyes and let her lips fall slightly open, waiting. She felt his breath before his lips. And then his lips.

Rick pressed his lips gently against hers and held them there for a moment, stamping her as his. The room was silent. The air was silent. They retreated for a moment to breathe and look into each other's eyes. Then they connected again, opening a little more to each other. They gave each other a few getting-to-know-your-lips kisses. Then, Rick opened his lips as much as possible and introduced his tongue to hers. Michonne followed his lead and let her tongue play with his.

"Mmm," Michonne moaned into his mouth as he pulled her closer and intensified the kiss. He wanted to get to as much of her as possible. But reminding himself to slow down, Rick placed his hand on her cheek and pulled back, giving them both a moment to breathe.

Michonne recovered quicker than Rick. After a couple of seconds of heavy breathing, she moved forward and licked his lips. Rick knew he was in trouble when he looked in her eyes and saw that same focus there that she got when she was cutting through a herd of walkers. She pushed herself forward, kissing and straddling him at the same time.

Rick allowed her to do so but realized that she wasn't in on the plan. "Let's-" Another passionate kiss with dancing tongues interrupted Rick's sentence. He caught his breath quickly and tried again when she broke the kiss to breathe. "Let's go slow," he said, breathing heavily.

Michonne forced her heavy breathing to slow and her body to follow. She leaned forward and gave Rick's neck a kiss while she ground her clothed pelvis slowly against his. "Like this?" she whispered before taking his earlobe between her teeth and biting it gently.

'God, how is any one man supposed to handle this woman?' Rick found himself thinking. He scooted toward the edge of the couch, taking Michonne with him. Sitting on his lap with her arms around his neck, she ground against him slowly again while they entered into another kiss. Rick let his hands rest on her firm hips as she moved in gentle circles. When they broke their kiss, Rick nipped gently at her plump lips with his teeth. This caused Michonne to chuckle.

"I'm not for eating, Rick Grimes," she teased. "You can ask the walkers."

"Oh yeah?" Rick asked. Ready to prove her wrong, Rick stood up and placed her on her back on the couch. Atop her, he moved down and began to remove her jeans.

"Oh, God," Michonne gasped when her jeans and underwear had gone and Rick had lifted her knees to get between her legs; he was going to pleasure her with his tongue, she realized. She jerked reflexively when she felt his hot breath hit her center. It had been so long. Chuckling at her response, Rick blew air through his lips purposefully the next time. Michonne had the same reaction. "Oh, Rick, don't play with me," she gasped out. "Please."

Rick darted his tongue out, touching her womanhood and Michonne gasped. She gripped the couch instead of placing her hand on his head because she didn't want to pull his hair. Spurred on by her reactions, Rick held her thighs and finally covered her hot spot with his mouth. "Uhhh!" Michonne groaned from her throat. Rick grew more aroused at the sound. He now knew how it was possible that Michonne had climaxed while pleasuring him last time. He had never been with someone who responded so well to him. It was emboldening to know that he was the cause of the intense pleasure racing through Michonne's body.

He sank his tongue into her and Michonne began to move her hips against his mouth. "Ah!" A short, sharp squeal escaped her mouth this time and she had to bite her bottom lip in order to be quiet just in case someone came up to the third floor. Rick moved his tongue in and out of her and then licked upwards so that the focus of his attentions was the small nub of nerves between her second lips. He flicked it with his tongue and then sucked at it gently. "Huh!" Michonne couldn't take it. She released the couch and her hand went to his head. Not wanting to hurt him, though, she somehow managed to keep her grip light.

She was now grinding against Rick's mouth at a faster pace and she felt herself about to release. "Rick," she gasped. "Stop. Get inside me. Please."

Rick didn't need to be asked twice. He stood up to pull his clothes off – Michonne finished unclothing herself as well – and then he was on top of her once again. Looking into her eyes, he pushed into her slowly. "Gaah..." he groaned. The pleasure of entering her slowly was so intense that it was almost torture. He had to use extreme willpower to keep himself from going fast, hard and finishing quickly.

Her eyes closed, Michonne clawed at his back. She lifted her legs and let the soles of her feet rest against the backs of his thighs as he finished entering into her. "Ah!" they both vocalized when he was all the way in. They stayed there connected for a moment and shared a kiss. Michonne was aware of the sound of the rain that was continuing outside and even in this fucked up world, for this moment, she thought that everything was perfect.

Rick lifted his hips and pulled out of her before pushing into her again. Out. In. Out. In. They maintained a slow and steady rhythm that somehow fit with the pattering of the raindrops. Rick brought his lips down to hers again, not able to get enough of her. Rick began a circular motion with his hips and they broke the kiss as they both felt new sensations of pleasure with the change of rhythm. Rick dropped to his elbows and let his head hang over her right shoulder as his movements slowly began to gain speed.

Michonne subtly lifted her hips to meet him thrust for thrust and her hands gripped tightly onto his shoulders when she knew that they were heading to the end. "Rick. Rick," she whispered, trying to convey to him how much pleasure she was getting from him.

"Oh yeah," Rick said, unable to maintain their slow pace any longer with Michonne's voice whispering in his ear. He thrust quickly in and out of her, biting down on her neck in the throes of passion. Neither one of them thought about the time that those same teeth had ripped a man's throat out. That world didn't exist. Not here. Not with them. "Ahh!" Rick moaned, releasing her neck.

Michonne tightened her legs around him as he released inside of her and soon she was releasing with him. "Ah!" she groaned throatily, digging her fingers into his shoulders. Rick emptied himself out and then collapsed on top of her before moving over sluggishly to cradle behind her on the couch.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, their naked bodies pressed against each other. "We probably should have not done this on the couch," Michonne said in hindsight. "Or at least put something down."

"You're right," Rick said. He couldn't really bring himself to care though. He was satiated and happy. "Michonne..." Michonne waited for him to continue. "We haven't really talked about it...I've been stupid about it but...protection..."

"Don't worry," Michonne said, getting what he was trying to say. "I found some birth control pills while out killing walkers with Abraham. I've been taking them regularly ever since."

"Oh," Rick said. "Okay. Good."

"Rick...?" Michonne asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can I have another Twinkie?"

- XD There you go guys. And again...Thanks for reviews. Things are gonna get bad in a couple of chapters guys...Really bad. And I'm sorry. But I gotta do it. Well, I don't gotta but...It's what I've been planning to do for a while now. Anyway...That's your warning.

Maybe if I get enough reviews, I won't put our favorite couple through what's coming. XD

Hehe. -


	9. Chapter 9

- New chapter. XD -

Chapter 9: Horizon

Michonne pushed another couch into the office on the third floor. It was their third day in the library and the group had decided to clutter the small office with as many objects as possible so that it could be a semi-soundproof room for Judith when the herd began to pass by. Bookshelves now lined three walls of the room and Michonne was pushing another couch against the fourth wall, out of the way of the door. Carl was going around and making sure to pack each corner with cloth just in case there were small cracks that sound could escape through. Whoever was in the room with Judith would also need to block the space underneath the door with cloth when the time came. So now, only a small space was left vacant in the middle of the room.

"Here, let me help you," Rick said, seeing Michonne move the couch on her own. He went and help to push the couch right up against the wall. "That should do it," Rick said, standing up and looking around at what they had done. "It's not perfect but it's something. Now if Judith begins to cry, there's less of a chance that she'll alert the walkers outside of where we are."

"Dad?" Carl asked. "What if the herd is heading to the same place we're heading? Alexandria Safe Zone? What if it's not so safe anymore?"

"Then we'll do like Daryl said," Rick suggested. "We'll find someplace else. After the herd passes, we'll wait a couple of weeks and then a couple of us will go out after them to see if they're blocking our path. If so, we have to turn right back around."

"Hey, Rick!" Daryl's voice called. "Come here a second!"

Rick gave Michonne's shoulder a gentle touch, letting her know he'd be right back, before he left the office. Michonne caught Carl staring at her. "What?" she asked with a smile.

Carl shook his head. "Nothing. Hey," he said, getting on another subject. "Did Dad give you a Twinkie?"

Michonne smiled. "He did. I thought I had died and gone to heaven."

"...Do you believe in heaven?" Carl asked after a moment.

Michonne thought about it. "I used to be a Buddhist," she said, sitting down on the arm of the couch she had just pushed into the room. "Now, to be honest, I don't know what I am anymore."

"I don't believe in anything," Carl said. "The answer to what happens after we die has become pretty obvious."

Michonne watched Carl finish sealing up the room. She didn't really have a response for him. It always hurt her when he seemed so jaded but there was nothing she could tell him or reassure him with because there was nothing she could tell or reassure herself with either.

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"They seem to be getting excited about somethin', don't you think?" Daryl asked Rick. He was peeking outside at the slightly increased number of walkers that was straggling about.

"We should probably go ahead and start blocking these windows," Rick said. "This may very well be walkers from the herd...Just ones that walked ahead a bit..."

"Alright..." Daryl peeked outside once before before he and Rick got everyone on the first floor mobilized to start boarding up the windows with the backs of bookshelves that they had separated from their larger counterparts yesterday and the day before.

"What can I do to help?" Jessie asked, appearing beside Rick.

"Go help Maggie and Glenn tear apart that bookshelf," Rick said, nodding towards Maggie and Glenn who were struggling to break the thing apart.

"Okay," Jessie said. "Let me know if you need anything as well." She looked once more over her shoulder as she headed to help the long-time couple.

Daryl approached Rick and watched the woman walk away. "I'd say Red's got a thing for you," he observed.

Rick glanced Jessie's way at the information but he didn't think much about it.

"You better let her know that she's risking a reckonin' at the end of a certain warrior woman's blade," Daryl teased.

Rick smiled and shrugged Daryl off. When Daryl went back to working with a smirk on his face, Rick allowed himself time to think about Michonne and what they had shared last night. They were together now. No question. He wasn't about to make a big announcement to everybody but if they were to just kiss in front of everybody in the library right now, it would be nobody's damn business. The only person he would have to explain himself to was Carl. Rick's smile grew as Daryl's comments came back to him.

He wondered how a jealous Michonne would look. Would she even get jealous? Rick doubted it. She knew him too well. Like he knew her. Now that they were together, he knew that Michonne would never betray him in any way. And he wouldn't betray her. Frankly...Rick just felt good knowing he was spoken for. He hurried up the process of blocking the windows so that he could get back upstairs to see his girlfriend.

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Michonne and Carl had long since stopped working in the third floor office. They had begun to focus on a new, more important mission.

"Let's find those Twinkies," Michonne said. "He said they were in the bag, but they're not." They had already searched through it and then left it on the couch since it didn't provide them with what they wanted. "Why would he lie?" Michonne wondered. "Or maybe he hid them after letting me know where they were because he thought I'd try to steal them." She was on her knees searching underneath the couch cushions.

"Like what you're doing right now?" Carl asked with a smile.

"Hey, Carl, listen," Michonne reprimanded playfully. "I don't need your mouth right now." Carl chuckled. "Besides," she said. "I don't want to _steal _them. I just want to know where they are. It would make me feel better." Michonne stood up on the couch and began to prod at the ceiling tiles. A couple of them rose up, but when she searched around with her hand, she didn't find anything. Carl finished searching through the desk drawers and watched Michonne for a minute.

"Michonne?" Carl said.

"Yeah?" Michonne responded to him while still searching the ceiling.

"Do you like my dad?" Michonne paused at his question and looked at him. Her stomach flipped. This was it. If Carl didn't get behind her and Rick's relationship, she couldn't continue being with him in good conscience.

"Why do you ask?" she asked, delaying the inevitable.

"Because I think my dad likes you," Carl said shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

Michonne stepped down from the couch and faced Carl. "Is that okay with you?" she asked. She watched his face carefully for a few long seconds before he nodded. "It's okay with me," he said. "Because I like you too."

Michonne smiled, relieved. "It's good to hear that," she said, placing her hand on Carl's shoulder.

"You didn't answer my question, though," Carl said. He moved around Michonne and went to the couch. He indicated to her to help him move it so that they could check underneath while they spoke. "Do you like my dad?"

Michonne chuckled as she went to the other side of the couch and began to pull it away from the wall. "Yes," she said. "I like your dad." She shook her head, a little embarrassed to say it out loud to Carl.

Carl smirked. "A lot?"

'He's not going to let this go,' Michonne thought. They finished pulling the couch forward to see an empty floor where it had been. No Twinkies. "Yes. A lot," Michonne admitted.

They pushed the couch back to the wall. "Good," Carl said. They both stood and Carl looked up at Michonne from where he stood, his head tilted slightly so that he could see past the brim of his hat. "I think he likes you more, though."

Michonne chuckled. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

Carl shrugged. "Just a feeling. It's easy to like you." Michonne felt flattered. "You're safe. We're not afraid to like you because we know you can handle yourself in this world." He nodded. "...We're not afraid of losing you if we get too close..." His words were soft as if he was speaking a secret.

"You won't lose me," Michonne promised quietly.

"Good," Carl said, looking downward to hide his eyes beneath the brim of his hat. He didn't want to show her his emotions. "'Cause Dad needs you."

Michonne smiled, not missing the fact that Rick had said that same thing about Carl to her. It felt good to be needed. Especially by people she needed just as much. "Now you wanna find that stash?"

"What stash?" Carl and Michonne looked up to see Rick standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips. They knew they had been caught. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about my stash of cakes, would you?"

They both stood there silently for a moment. "Oh yeah," Carl suddenly said. "Daryl was telling me about a book I need to read... 'The Most Dangerous Game' or something. I'm gonna go find it." Michonne watched as Carl just ran off and abandoned her.

"Looks like your partner-in-crime just left you hangin'" Rick said, amused at the look on Michonne's face. "It's too bad you're new at this. I could have told you that would happen. I've seen it with perps all the time."

"Oh, you're pullin' the cop card on me now, huh?" Michonne said, facing Rick.

"Mm-hmm," Rick said, walking forward. He closed the door behind him.

"Well, I'm not too worried," Michonne said.

"Well, you should be," Rick said.

"No, I don't think so," Michonne responded. She slid her arms around his neck once he had stepped close enough. Rick's hands landed at her waist. "Because the officer in charge has a soft spot for me so I think I'll be let off the hook."

"Soliciting an officer can get you in a lot of trouble," Rick said, his eyes falling to Michonne's lips.

Michonne leaned forward. "I'm counting on it," she responded softly. Their lips met and they shared a passionate kiss in the now-cluttered office. When they broke away from each other, Michonne let her eyes stay closed for a moment so that she could fully soak in what had just happened. She was done being reserved. She was done holding anything back. She wanted to give her all to this man. "Carl knows about us," Michonne said. Rick sucked in a breath and before he could panic, Michonne gave him the good news. "And he's okay with it."

Rick let out a sigh of relief. "That's good," he said. "Because I didn't know how I would tell him..."

"...Me neither," Michonne said with a smile. "He must have noticed something different about us, though, because he brought it up on his own. He's a smart kid."

"He is," Rick agreed.

They stood, holding each other. "I want to hear all about you, Rick," Michonne said. "Everything about your life before I met you. And I'll tell you about me. There's so much I don't know."

"We can do that," Rick said. There was a lot he wanted to know about her as well. "We can start tonight. And continue every night after that."

Michonne smiled. She liked the thought of sharing future nights with Rick Grimes.

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On the fourth day, the group had decided to distract themselves by playing a game of "Thief". Glenn had found a pack of cards and had quickly suggested that everyone get together and have some fun. No one objected to that. So they had all sat around a large table and gotten ready to play. He gathered cards from the deck, making sure that one Joker stayed in, and then passed those cards to the group. Whoever had the Joker card was the "Thief" and had to somehow get that card to someone else before fifteen minutes were up. Whoever had the "Thief" card at the end of the time limit, would be out.

As Glenn explained the rules, Michonne noticed that Rick looked distracted. He wasn't facing into the circle like everyone else was but, rather, facing the blocked window in the wall of the library. Now that the days were passing, Rick's thoughts were becoming more focused on the herd that would soon be passing through. His serious leader mode was coming back on and even Michonne's light flirtations were beginning to not be enough to relax him.

His foot was tapping slowly against the carpeted floor. Michonne briefly put her hand over his, letting him know that whatever burden he felt could be shared. He gave Michonne a small smile and tried to focus back in on the game.

Michonne picked up her card and saw that she had a seven of diamonds. She didn't have the Joker so she wasn't the "Thief". She quickly cast her eyes around as everyone picked up their own cards. Glenn's lips tightened for a moment and then he looked around the group with a poker face.

"It's Glenn," Michonne announced.

"Damn it. Michonne..." Glenn huffed a sigh and set his card down. "Let's re-deal."

"Wait, so you really had it?!" Maggie asked. She laughed at his expense. "You barely picked up your card before you gave yourself away!"

"I didn't give myself away!" Glenn said. "She's just like...a spy or something...I don't know. Let's just...not call out who the thief is next time, alright?" He raised his eyebrows at Michonne. "Even if we suspect someone?"

Michonne nodded. "You didn't have to admit it though," she said with a shrug. "No one else knew whether I was right or not."

"I did," Tara said. "Glenn, you blink, like, three times in a row when you lie."

"What I don't understand," Abraham said. "Is why we don't have both the Jokers in so we can have two thieves. Raise the stakes a little bit."

"Maybe because that's not how the game works," Rosita said, throwing Abraham a look.

"Well, it could," Eugene chimed in. "This is just a probability game that would only get more interesting with increased probability. It's nothing like the engaging game of D&D that I think I could make work if any of you are interested. We just need to make character sheets, fashion some kind of twelve-sided di which shouldn't be too hard since – I'm not gonna lie – I used to do origami as a hobby. We have enough people and if you fine folks are interested, I could be the best damn dungeon master you've ever known."

"What the hell are you even talkin' about, Mullet?" Daryl asked, angry that he didn't understand one word that came out of the man's mouth. "Why don't none o' y'all ever stop him?" he asked, looking around at the group.

Maggie was holding back a smile. "Let's just deal again and start playing the game," she said.

"What are the rules again?" Tyreese asked.

"Damn it, Tyreese!" a frustrated Sasha said. "You never _could _understand instructions the first time around." Some of the group laughed and Michonne laughed along with them.

She looked around at everyone and felt instantly warm. Everyone was chatting and talking to someone else and she doubted the game would actually get started anytime soon, if at all. It reminded her of Thanksgiving before the world changed. Her uncle, aunt, mom, dad, Terry, Mike...Andre...none of them were there. But Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, Tyreese, Daryl, Rick, Carl, and everyone else were. This was her family now. And they were enjoying being together despite everything.

Rick was finally focused on something besides the coming walkers. He watched Michonne's face as she enjoyed the conversations around her. This was a woman who was shedding her layers every day and the more he saw the deeper he fell.

Michonne finally felt Rick staring at her. "What?" Michonne asked, feeling taken apart by the deep way he was looking at her. They had spent most of last night talking. She now knew when his birthdady was, what his favorite movie had been, what his favorite book had been, and so much more. And he knew the same about her. They each had so much more to tell and so much more to hear. It was exciting.

"Nothing," Rick said. 'Except I'm pretty sure I love you,' Rick thought.

"Rick?" Carol called from the top of the stairs. She had been upstairs with Judith in the soundproof room. With the increasing amount of meandering walkers, they couldn't risk being heard.

"Yeah?" Rick asked.

"Judith's crying a lot," Carol said. "And she's hot. I think she's got a fever."

Carl and Rick immediately stood up, worry on their faces. Everyone else's face reflected the same look. Judith was everyone's beam of light. If something were to happen to her...

"Do we have any medicine for a baby?" Daryl asked, trailing closely behind Carl, Rick, and Michonne.

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"We need to get some pediatric acetaminophen," Michonne told Rick. It was the fifth day of being in the library and Judith's fever hadn't passed. People had taken turns giving her sponge baths, trying to bring the fever down but she kept crying in discomfort. "Andre had plenty of fevers when he was a baby," Michonne said. "Worried me sick every time. But acetaminophen did the trick."

"I know," Rick said. "I'm going out to find some today. I can't wait until more walkers show up out there."

Michonne put her hand on Rick's arm. "I'll go," she said. "The pharmacy Maggie, Sasha, and I picked through on our last run barely had anything but I think there were a couple of things left in the pediatrics' section that we didn't grab."

"I'm not letting you go out there alone," Rick said.

"Rick. I'm faster on my own," Michonne said.

"No." Rick put his hands on his hips and finality in his voice. "You promised not to do this loner stuff anymore, remember? No matter how tough you are, you need someone to watch your back out there."

"But Carl and Judith need you here," Michonne said gently but matter-of-factly. She placed her hand on Rick's wrist. "I promise I'll find the medicine and come back in record time. I promise."

The boyfriend in him wanted to forbid her from going into a dangerous situation but the leader in him knew that she was the perfect person for such an important mission. She cared enough about Judith to keep her word and she was someone he could always trust to come back. Rick rubbed his hand over his clean shaven face, missing the scratchy beard he used to find there. "Okay," he said, with a nod. "Okay." He sighed. "Take Glenn and Daryl with you."

Michonne nodded. "Okay," she agreed.

Michonne, Daryl, and Glenn prepped and headed outside a couple of hours later through the back door. Michonne had to immediately cut down two walkers who were close by when they came out. Rick closed and chained the door once more when they were out. 'Please let them find what they need quickly and come back safe,' Rick prayed silently. To who or what, he didn't know.

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Rick held Judith and paced back and forth. He felt like he needed to be out there right up until the moment a knock sounded on the library door at the back a couple of hours later. Rick went to the door with his gun drawn. "Daryl?" he called through, making sure it was them.

"Rick," Daryl's voice responded.

Rick felt relief wash over him and he saw Carl release tension as well.

He holstered his weapon and opened the door. Daryl was there. Glenn was there. The medicine was there. "Where's Michonne?" Rick growled, as an exhausted Glenn and Daryl pushed their way through the door.

"We gotta go back for her," Daryl said. "We got ambushed by a bunch o' walkers. Got separated. She managed to climb up into a nearby tree out back o' the pharmacy but walkers started gatherin' around the bottom. She just told us to bring the medicine to Lil' Asskicker first so we ran here as fast as we could."

"And left her there," Rick growled. His worst fear was happening. Not only was it the woman he had allowed himself to fall in love with stuck out there in danger, it was also one of the most valuable members of his group. He knew Glenn and Daryl probably couldn't have done anything but he needed to turn his anxiousness and fear into something that he could actually use. Like anger.

"Look, we couldn't do nothin' man," Daryl said. "The walkers were pushing us out. We need to go back out there with more people. Help Michonne get outta that tree."

Rick nodded. "That's exactly what we're gonna do. Carl..." He gave Carl the medicine and Judith. "Give Judith this medicine."

"Dad," Carl said, bringing his dad's wild eyes to his face. "Don't worry about Michonne. We won't lose her. She promised."

Rick watched his son turn and walk away with all the casual confidence of a king. He had heard his son talk about not believing in anything. But it was clear that he believed in Michonne. The boy had one hundred percent faith that she would come back to them. 'Right,' Rick thought. 'This isn't anyone else, but Michonne. She'll be just fine.' He rose to his feet. "Alright guys," he said. "Let's go get her."

"Herd on the horizon!"

Rick's stomach dropped to his shoes.

Abraham barreled down the steps and stopped on the first floor where a lot of people were gathered. "I was just up on the roof," he said. "And I saw the herd coming this way." His eyes were big and fearful. "It seems to have gotten larger. There looks to be thousands!"

Rick, Daryl, and Glenn turned to each other with wide fearful eyes. Each was thinking the same thing. Michonne was about to be stuck out there in the midst of a thousand walkers.

- O.O What's gonna happen?! Keep reading to find out. And review! XD I love reading you guys' reviews. It keeps me motivated to keep the updates rolling. -


	10. Chapter 10

- New update. I think I've been through about 70% of the Richonne fics that are on this site. That's a shame. We need more Richonne fics. I'll make it happen. -

Chapter 10: Up a Creek

**A Couple of Hours Before**

"There are not many babies in this world so the infant sections are usually still stocked pretty full," Michonne said as she led Daryl and Glenn to where she, Maggie, and Sasha had found the pharmacy. "I remember there being quite a bit of stuff left. We just took the few things that we thought we'd need but...if there's any acetaminophen, it'll be there."

Daryl listened with his crossbow raised to take care of any walkers coming their way. He let an arrow loose into the skull of one that was skulking nearby and Glenn stabbed another one in the head with a knife. "There are definitely more o' these things shufflin' around," Daryl said, letting another arrow fly after collecting his last one. "We gotta get in and get out with that ace stuff."

They got to the pharmacy with barely any trouble despite the increasing number of walkers. Michonne sliced the heads of two walkers who had stumbled their way into the store before making her way to the section she needed to get to. Like she said, the shelves were still moderately full.

Daryl went inside and closed the door, peering out of the glass with his back pressed against it. He didn't like how the walkers were starting to gather up out there. Ten more minutes and they would have at least twenty of those things pressing down on them and banging on the glass. "Hey, hurry it up," Daryl said. "We ain't got time."

Glenn went to help Michonne find what she was looking for. He picked up a white bottle with a red label. "Hey, is this it?" he asked.

Michonne took the bottle, relieved. "Yeah," she said. "That's it." She pushed the medicine into her bag and grabbed a few more things just in case. "Okay," she said. "Let's go."

"Damn. Where are they all coming from?" Michonne heard Daryl mutter. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she looked around to see about thirteen walkers milling outside and pressing themselves against the pharmacy glass because of the people inside.

Michonne unsheated her sword. Daryl glanced back at Glenn and Michonne to make sure they were ready before he threw the door open and quickly stabbed two walkers in the brain with an arrow he had clutched in his hand. Having made a hole for himself, he slipped through before arming his crossbow and turning to try to clear more of the walkers from the street. Some walkers piled through the door of the pharmacy while some focused on Daryl. Michonne and Glenn slashed and stabbed their way free of the pharmacy, Glenn retrieving one of Daryl's arrows from a fallen walkers skull on the way. He knew how troublesome it was to constantly shoot, retrieve, and reuse the arrows. "Thanks," Daryl said, when Glenn handed it to him.

The group of three began to retreat away from the pharmacy and the walkers that were bearing down on them when another small group of walkers began to accost them from the direction that they were headed towards. Daryl took two out with his arrows, Glenn rushed forward to stab one powerfully through the top of its skull before he stepped back to focus on another, and Michonne turned to take out some of the ones that were coming up behind them.

They were so busy fighting off the walkers in their direct proximity that no one noticed when their distancing became a problem. A couple of walkers managed to straggle into the space between them. Michonne and Glenn took them out no problem but having seen the opportunity, other walkers began to go towards that same, small free space. And suddenly Michonne was separated from Glenn and Daryl by a small wall of walkers. Glenn worked on clearing them while Michonne focused on the walkers that were now crowding around her back. She knew she had to cut her way to a clearing so she took advantage of the first possible pathway of escaping the crowding walkers that she saw. The only problem was that she was going backwards while Glenn and Daryl got pushed onwards as they battled the increasing herd.

"Shit," Michonne said, once she was on the other side of the walkers, separated from her allies. "Glenn!" she shouted. Acting fast, she took the bag off of her shoulder and threw it to her friend before he could get too far away. He caught it sloppily and swung it wildly, using it as a weapon to distance the walkers. Soon most of the walkers had their attention turned to Michonne, she fought them off but knew she would have to retreat soon. Glenn and Daryl's path forward was almost clear. "Take the medicine to Judith!" she yelled. "I'll catch up!" She sliced through a few more walkers before turning on her heel and running back towards the pharmacy.

"Where are you going?!" Daryl called. "Michonne!" He and Glenn fought for a wild more, hoping to not have to leave Michonne behind but the crowd was thickening. They saw Michonne dodge and cut through the wall of walkers at the door. The entryway to the pharmacy was blocked so Michonne chose to go around the building. Walkers were right on her tail and she saw more coming from all directions so she did the best thing she could think of in the moment. She went up. She sheathed her sword and climbed a tree that luckily stood right behind the pharmacy in what she was sure used to be a nice, decorative patch of lawn used for picnics and small talk. She felt walkers' hands brush against her legs as she went up but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. When she finally got a safe distance off the ground, she perched on a large outhanging branch and looked down. Her breath was coming in fast puffs from adrenaline.

She was surrounded. Walkers completely encircled the tree while reaching upwards, biting at their entrapped prey. Michonne saw Daryl and Glenn retreat, running back towards the library and the others. Closing her eyes and willing her heart to stop beating so quickly, she told herself to think of something. 'You're safe for now,' she thought to herself, trying to drown out the sound of groans and biting jaws below. 'They can't reach you. Think.'

She had just begun to calm herself down when she looked up to see thousands of walkers coming her way.

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**Present**

"The herd's coming," Abraham announced.

"Shit. Then we have to go get Michonne _now_," Rick emphasized.

Everyone besides Carl, Carol, and Father Gabriel – who needed to stay behind and watch Judith – armed themselves for the impromptu mission. "You," Rick said, pointing at Jessie. She was standing back with wide eyes. "You're coming with us."

"What? Why?!" she asked.

"I'm not leaving you here with my children. Let's go." Daryl opened the door to go out but they saw something that caused everyone to stop in their tracks.

"Y'all ain't goin' nowhere."

A man with a slicked back ponytail, leather jacket, and a baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire draped over his shoulder stood at the door, blocking their way. Five other guys were behind him. Two of them fought off straggling walkers with iron pipes while he stood there. Three of the other guys were aiming at the people in the library with automatic weapons. "Well?" he asked, while everyone just stood there staring at him – Daryl had his crossbow aimed at his head. "Are you fuckers gonna invite me in?"

"Who the fuck are you?" Daryl asked.

"Uh uh uh," the man said. "I'm askin' the questions. Seein' as you fucks are the ones ruinin' my fuckin' vacation."

Rick was on high alert. His body was tense and his hand was tight around his weapon. It didn't take him long to figure out that even though his group outnumbered the men at the door, they were at a disadvantage. One wrong move and those automatic weapons could take them all out. His thoughts traveled upstairs to Carl and his baby, Judith. He couldn't let them get hurt. His eyes traveled around the room, looking for a way out of this.

"If we don't get an invite into this fuckin' room in the next five seconds," the man continued. "Lucille ain't gon' be very happy. My mama raised me to be a gentleman...and as a fuckin' gentleman, I can't very well come in without an invite, can I?"

"You're not invited," Rick growled. "Now be a gentleman and don't overstay your welcome."

The man laughed. "Aw, now y'all are hurtin' my fuckin' feelins'. Fellas?" The guys with the automatic weapons stepped inside, their weapons up. Daryl, Glenn, and the rest had no choice but to fall back a bit and let them in. The man stepped inside with them. When everyone was inside, the two men fighting off walkers came in and closed the door behind themselves. "And you've made me disobey my fuckin' mama." He shook his head. "Shame on you fucks."

Rick saw slight movement upstairs and he panicked. He hoped the children and Carol would stay upstairs, undetected. When he got a chance to focus on the movement though, he was surprised to see a shocked Sasha appear upstairs behind the railing. Hope bloomed in his chest. He hadn't known she was still up there – she had probably been checking on Carol before she left. He was even happier to see that she had her weapon with her. He hurriedly focused back in on the men he was facing. If he didn't alert them of Sasha's position, they could have the upperhand. Sasha was a great shot.

"Now I'm gonna have to ask all of you fuckers to lower your fuckin' weapons," the man said. "'Cause we all know who is showing the bigger dick right now."

Rick clenched his teeth together, hating to feel helpless or weak. But he knew he had no other choice. He bent down and slowly put down his weapons. A gun and a machete. The other people in his group who were downstairs followed his lead.

"I don't know what this is about," Rick said, his hands raised. He glanced upstairs; he was glad to see nothing. He didn't know where Sasha had gone. She was thinking ahead. Because surely the men would check upstairs soon. He just hoped she had found a good hiding place. Because they needed at least one person to be armed. "But I'm sure we can work something out." He tilted his head up, looking at the man's face.

"Check upstairs fuckwads," the man called to two of his men. Apparently, he didn't refer to his own men anymore lightly than he did his enemies. They went to do so. Rick wished he could have warned Carl and Carol somehow. "Now, you say you don't know what this is about..." the man said, focusing on Rick again. He signaled to his men to line everyone up and put them on their knees. Rick grit his teeth when he felt the men going behind them and tying their hands behind their backs. His mind was racing, trying to think of ways that they could get out of this. "Well, I'll tell ya 'cause I don't want y'all to think that I'm just some lowly bully."

He turned to face them. His henchmen on both sides of him since everyone was properly tied now. "First off, let me introduce myself. My name...is Negan."

A small gasp came from Jessie. Rick looked over to where she was bound beside him. Her eyes were wide and fearful and she was trembling. He didn't have time to wonder about Jessie's strange reaction because this so-called Negan...continued to speak.

"And this is my best friend, Lucille," he indicated the bat he held, wrapped in barbed wire and a huge grin spread across his face.

"Look at what we found upstairs," one of the upstairs henchmen said, pushing Carl and Carol ahead of them down the stairs. Carol held baby Judith protectively against her chest.

"Oh, lookit!" Neegan said, going towards the group as they made it to the bottom of the stairs. "A fuckin' baby! I haven't seen one of these since – hell, since this world got fucked!" He laughed. "Can I hold her?" He reached for the baby. Carol recoiled and Rick got to his feet.

"Don't you touch her!" he said, in a low, warning voice. His eyes went upstairs again. Sasha wasn't back yet. He began to feel panic in his chest.

"I'm assumin' the little fuck is yours then," Negan said. He smiled and looked down at the boy that had just been brought downstairs. The kid had a hard stare that wasn't wavering. "You the little fuck's brother then?" he asked. He didn't get an answer, only a continued stare. "Tie 'em up and put 'em with the rest," Negan said to his men.

When they were all tied and on their knees again, Negan began again. "Where was I? Oh yeah," he said. "Why we're doin' this. Well, my men and I were just in town for a simple fuckin' supply run and then I hear people comin' back with news that four of my fuckin' men were killed at a gas station?"

Rick cursed inwardly. So there had been more of them.

"We didn't know who the crazy fucks were who did it – since all our men at the gas station were killed – but then we found our boys' fuckin' vehicle covered and hiding outside." Negan paced casually back and forth. "Imagine my fuckin' surprise and delight! That was two days ago. We've been waitin' for the right time to introduce ourselves since then and I think that time has come."

Rick wondered silently how the men had gotten by without anybody from the group seeing them. People had been posted at the windows keeping watch since they had come to the library. Maybe they had boarded the windows too prematurely.

"Now usually when we run across other little...communities," Negan said, gesturing gracefully with his bat. "We strike up some kind of deal. Like...we don't kill everybody in their party...if they just give us all of their supplies. But you people..." he looked around at them. "Do you fucks even have any fuckin' supplies? Y'all look like y'all have been livin' like fuckin' cavemen for a while." He shook his head. "It's a fuckin' shame. I'm tryin' to think of some reason why I shouldn't just kill all of you right now."

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Michonne saw her way out. One of the branches a little higher up, hung out so far that it almost reached the roof of the pharmacy.

Michonne climbed up to that branch, the sound of moans and groans coming ever closer. And the smell was horrific. Michonne inched forward on the branch first, testing the strength of it and gauging how far she would have to jump and fall. Letting out a breath, she took her sword off of her shoulders and threw it onto the flat rooftop first. She then walked back towards the trunk of the tree. She saw her pathway. And took it.

Without hesitation, she ran from where the branch connected to the tree at its trunk and to the edge of the branch that hung close to the roof. She jumped and made sure not to tense her legs so that she wouldn't hurt herself on the landing. The impact of the landing still hurt but she knew she hadn't sprained or broken anything. She quickly stood and picked up her sword.

'Now what?' she wondered, moving over to the edge of the building to look down at all of the walkers that were still gathered around. Her eyes went to the horizon and she sighed. She needed to find someplace safe before that large herd came through.

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"On account of this being your first foray into town and on account of that little fuckin' baby over there, I figure I can just treat this as a warnin'," Negan said. "We'll take what little you _do _have, like the stash of food you stole from us and take the life of one of your men. Then we'll call it even."

Rick clenched his teeth, a muscle jumping in his jaw.

"So tell me," Negan said with a smile. "Which one of you wants to have an intimate meeting with my friend, Lucille? Oh, come on!" he said after a silence. "She's a fuckin' beauty! And besides...she don't bite!" He laughed. "Okay," he admitted. "I lied. She does bite. A lot." He looked down the line of survivors. "No volunteers?" he asked. "Fine. I guess _I'll _have to decide then." He moved his bat around in a circle until it landed on Jessie.

A high-pitched squeal of dread escaped Jessie's throat. "No, please..." she whispered.

"Aw now, ain't this a fuckin' shame?" Negan said. "Lucille picked the prettiest girl in the room. She must be jealous. There sure is a lot more I'd like to do to you than bash your brains out, that's for sure," he said to Jessie who now had tears sliding down her cheeks. "If none of you know what I'm eluding to, I'm sayin' I'd rather fuck her brains out instead," he finished crudely.

Rick glanced upwards to see any sign of Sasha. Relief washed over him when he saw the end of her sniper rifle leaning over the railing.

"There ain't no reason why we still can't do that boss," one of his henchmen piped up. "We can fuck her then bash her brains in." He adjusted himself in his pants.

Negan turned to his henchman. "Did I ask for your opinion on anything?" he asked warningly. His henchman was shocked for a moment but then shook his head. "You're still relatively new so I'll let you off the hook like I'm lettin' these fine fucks off the hook. But I hear one more word about you wantin' to fuck somebody and you'll be the one getting fucked. Understand?" The henchman nodded, clearly terrified. "I ain't about fuckin' against a bitch's will," Negan continued. He turned to the group, lined up on their knees. "See?" he questioned. "Ain't I a reasonable son of a bitch? I didn't hold your baby when you didn't want me too, I'm not touchin' your women, and I'll even give that bitch who has her gun pointed at my head a chance to live if she just comes down and surrenders now."

Rick cursed under his breath as Negan turned continued speaking. "I have more men outside waiting with specific instructions to come in here with fuckin' dynamite if me and my boys don't get out of here in ten fuckin' minutes. So the lot of you are wise not to try anything." Rick glared up at him. "What?" he asked. "You don't believe me?" He sent a nod in one of his henchman's directions. The man went to the back door, opened it, and gave a signal. Gunfire sounded from everywhere around the building. They were surrounded. Rick's stomach dropped. "Good," Negan said, seeing the expression on Rick's face. "It looks like you understand me." He turned back to his henchman. "Go get the bitch upstairs and bring her _downstairs_...minus the rifle.

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Michonne dug her fingers into the walker she had managed to capture and put down. She had managed to get back inside the pharmacy by painstakingly making a small enough hole - with her sword and a lot of digging and banging - for her body to fit through in the drywall ceiling. Then she had dropped from ceiling to floor. This time she had hurt herself. Her ankle was twisted to all hell and an intense pain was shooting through her abdomen. She was assuming she must have bruised it by coming through the hole.

Digging out the walker's insides, she covered herself with it from head to toe. She made sure to put some in her hair as well. She had never traveled together with a herd this size. It was risky. If one got too close...It would probably be able to smell her human scent under the walker scent no matter how much of this stuff she put on. Her heart pounded. She just knew she had to do something. The herd was practically on top of her right now.

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"Now is that everyone?" Negan asked. "I don't want anymore surprises or I can't promise anything. Lucille has a bit of a temper." Sasha kneeled along with everyone else with her hands tied behind her back. She looked frustrated and disappointed with herself.

"Now...like I was saying," Negan continued. "I'm just going to kill one of you. And that's a fair deal. I gotta be quick about it now because that gunfire probably just made those dead fucks headin' our way start comin' five times faster. And I would think the time is almost up before my friends come in here with guns a'-fuckin'-blazin' thinkin' that something's wrong."

One of the guys came back into the room carrying a bag. "Is that the food they took from us?" Negan asked. The guy confirmed that it was and Negan nodded. "Y'all really are getting off really easy here. Usually if a group doesn't have somethin' I want I just kill 'em all. You fucks got it lucky. Now let's see here...Who was I gonna kill again? Oh yeah...the pretty one."

Jessie descended into sobs.

"Look," Rick said, his mind racing. "I'm sure we can work something out."

"No, we can't," Negan responded. "You have nothing I want." He pointed at two of his henchmen and then Tyreese. "You two. Bring him up to the front."

Everyone looked on with unease as Tyreese was placed on his knees before Negan. Sasha shifted as if she was going to get up but a gun aimed in her direction stopped her. "I never could stand the sight of a pretty girl's tears," he said. "So this is for you, muffin tits." With no hesitation, Negan swung his baseball bat hard against the side of Tyreese's head, cracking his skull and causing lacerations to form on his cheek.

"Nooo!" Members of Rick's group screamed. Rick surged to his feet, his vision blurry from rage. Gunfire went off but Rick was surprised that he didn't feel any pain. He thought maybe he was too angry or out of his mind with grief to feel it. But looking back, he would realize that they weren't trying to hit him. They were shooting at his feet and above his head. They wanted the group to watch Negan's madness.

Rick felt arms restraining him and he struggled against them but he knew there was no hope.

Negan was nonplussed by all of the commotion going on on the sidelines, he continued to beat at Tyreese's skull until it was nothing but a mass of bloody pulp. When he was done, he stood up straight and admired Lucille with a grin. "Now," he said to the group. "Maybe if we see each other next time, we can strike up some kind of deal. Have a nice day."

Without saying anything else, he turned on his heel and left. His henchmen followed after him, their guns drawn on the group of survivors until they were out the door and had shut it behind them. Rick collapsed to the floor, his legs weak. He had failed. He had failed to protect his group once again.

Sasha wailed at the end of the line and almost everyone else was in shocked disconnect. Slow tears streamed down Maggie and Carol's cheeks. Tyreese was gone. Just like that.

"We have to leave." Daryl was the one to speak through the despair. "That herd of walkers is comin'. And we don't have any food. They're gonna crowd around this place and starve us out 'cause now they know people are in here."

"Michonne..." Rick said through his haze of shock and despair. "We can't leave Michonne."

"...We have to," Daryl said. He and Rick were now back-to-back and they worked their bindings off of each other. Once their hands were free, they helped everyone else. "We can find another place a few miles out and then once the herd passes, we can backtrack for her."

When Sasha's hands were free, she didn't move from her spot. She only stared at Tyreese's body, silent sobs wracking her own. Carol handed Judith to a shocked Carl and went over to help get her to her feet.

"She might still be in that tree," Rick muttered, his eyes avoiding the bloody mess that was Tyreese on the floor. "She can't stay up there for too long. She needs food. Water..."

"I'm with Daryl," Abraham said. He helped a shaking Tara to her feet. "We can't stay here now. We gotta move. Michonne would understand that. She'd be saying the same thing."

Rick turned to look at Carl, whose eyes were wide. "I don't want to leave her dad," Carl said. "She said she would come back. She's probably on her way right now."

Rick's hand shook and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew what the safest option for everyone was.

"I've heard of Negan before," Jessie said. "My husband told me about him. He makes deals with groups that have managed to form themselves into communities, forcing them to give him most of their supplies and stuff...If the community doesn't obey his demands, he continues to kill people from the community until they do. Everyone is terrified of him. And he has a lot of men. If he's in town, we _have _to leave. We've gotta get as far away from him as possible."

Daryl walked up to Rick, who was still quietly thinking. "Come on, man," he said. "I care about Michonne too. But we gotta go. You know it."

Rick let his hand fall to his side and glanced at Carl one more time before announcing his decision. "Okay, everybody," he said. "To the bus! Gather up any supplies or important materials! We've gotta leave in the next five minutes!" Rick didn't look into Carl's eyes. He didn't need to. He could feel his angry glare like a heavy weight on his shoulders. He was failing everybody. He had failed Noah, Tyreese, Michonne...And now he was failing Carl. "Let's go!" he shouted.

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Michonne walked along the side of the street. She was still a ways ahead of the herd of a thousand but she didn't want to risk any of the walkers around her noticing her human scent either. She walked slowly to blend in better. A ricochet of racket from the distance broke through the silence and Michonne became alert. It sounded like gunfire. In the direction of the library. Michonne sped up as discreetly as she possibly could, her expression becoming fearful. What was happening at the library?

She became even more fearful when she noticed the interest of all of the walkers surrounding her. Their steps became more hurried and their heads more erect. They now had a destination to head towards. Michonne made her steps even quicker.

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Almost everyone was on the bus now. Rick followed Carl up the steps. Daryl and Abraham were the last ones to get on; they were guarding the doors while everyone filed inside. Daryl took out a nearby walker with his arrow while Abraham climbed in and then he climbed in as well. Glenn closed the doors behind them before he went to take a seat with Maggie. Sasha had gotten a seat to herself in the back and had curled in on herself. She was looking out the window at the library they were leaving behind. It was clear that she didn't want to be bothered.

Abraham took the driver's seat. "I've somehow become the designated driver," he grumbled.

Rick placed his hand on Carl's shoulder as they went to find a seat but Carl shrugged away from him and went to a seat by himself. He tried to hide it under his hat, but Rick could see a tear stream down the boy's cheek.

"He'll come around," Carol offered from her seat beside the standing Rick. He nodded, knowing she was trying to offer any comforting words that she could. She handed Judith to him. "Here..."

Rick took Judith and placed himself in the seat across from Carol. He looked down at his baby girl and his dam burst. He wept quietly. He wept for all of the losses they had endured lately and he wept for Michonne. He felt weak. Helpless. No matter how hard he tried to bring them to safety, there seemed to be nothing he could do to keep from losing them all one by one.

The engine started and Rick held Judith tighter. He shut his eyes as they drove away.

In the back seat, Jessie saw something that made her eyes widen. "Holy shit," she breathed. She could just make Michonne out in the herd of walkers. She was covered in gore. "She really made it," Jessie murmured. She was fading farther and farther into the distance when her eyes met Jessie's. Jessie expected her to run after the bus but she just stood there. Left behind. And then she was gone.

Jessie turned back to the front, knowing that she wouldn't tell anyone about having seen Michonne. This was her chance. She had been wanting Michonne gone and now it had happened. She may be alive now but with the size of that herd, there was no way that she could survive that alone. She may be tough but she wasn't that tough.

"What is it?" Father Gabriel asked, noticing Jessie's strange expression.

"Nothing," she said with a shake of her head. "Nothing."

- What's gonna happen?! Haha. I'm trying to keep two updates a week going but sometimes I lose track of days. I think I'm doing pretty good? Anyway...Leave me reviews to keep me going. I'm possibly going to write a Richonne one-shot in the meantime...watch out for it. -


	11. Chapter 11

- Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows guys. I'm so excited. This story is on my mind almost all the time. I've been at Disney World this week, so I'm a little later than usual putting up the new update...Still reaching my quota though. :D Continue to review please! I love hearing from you guys! And if you're a silent reader, please continue to do that too! -

Chapter 11: Arrival

Michonne stood in shock. She wanted to chase after the bus but her survival instinct was telling her not to. She was surrounded by walkers who would give chase, the bus had already reached full acceleration, and her injuries left her vulnerable to not being up to par to fighting twenty of them off at once. After seeing the bus leave, she ducked inside the library to find some hint as to why her friends would leave in such a hurry and the shock of seeing Tyrese's dead body was something that wouldn't be leaving her any time soon. Just who was it that would do such a thing? Michonne became alert that there were dangerous human foes around the area as well. Wandering amongst the walkers that were filling their temporary safe haven, Michonne fought through her shock and grief to look for any food that may have been left behind. She would need it if she wanted to catch up to them. They would probably choose to put miles between themselves and the coming herd before they risked stopping and fortifying again.

That meant they would be putting miles between themselves and her as well.

Fear crept up into Michonne's heart but she squashed it down. She would find them. She would catch up to them. She knew their plan and she knew where they were heading. It was just a matter of narrowing the distance. And for that, she would need a vehicle of her own.

Michonne limped through the library, fitting in perfectly with the passing walkers due to her injuries. Not only were searing pains shooting through her ankle with each step but the cramp in her stomach was throbbing more painfully as well. She was starting to think she may have pulled something. She was about to give up looking for any food that had been left behind when she caught sight of something in a woven basket dressed with a blanket. Recognizing the basket as the one Rick had been letting Judith sleep in lately, she peeled back the blanket to reveal three Twinkies all lined in a row.

A chuckle left Michonne's lips just as a pain born from memories of happier times from just that morning tore through her heart. She fought down the lump in her throat and collected the Twinkies. 'I'll catch up to them,' she reminded herself again and again. 'I'll find them.'

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Rick stared out of the window as trees rolled by; Judith was sleeping against his chest. She had taken her medicine and was now dozing off the effects.

His mind couldn't stay off of Michonne. He felt guilty for leaving her behind. He knew that the choice he made was for the good of the group as a whole but was it the _right _choice? If she was stuck in the tree with no hope of getting down and no supplies...he had left her to die. And if she did manage to get out of the tree and make it back to them...he had left her with no explanation as to where they had gone or why they had left.

'She'll see the bullet holes,' he thought. 'She'll know we had no choice...' But then that thought made him feel sick to his stomach. If she made it back, she would be coming back to a wrecked library and Tyrese's dead body. She wouldn't know what to think...maybe that they were all taken hostage or killed.

Rick got up with baby Judith and walked to the front of the bus to talk to Abraham. "How far are we from the next town?" he asked, sitting in the front seat.

"Probably about eight miles," Abraham said. "Why?"

"I think we should stop in the next town. Find a new place to hold up in there until the herd passes." Abraham glanced back in his rearview mirror to see Rick with an ashen palor.

"Rick, you look like you need to get some rest," he said sympathetically. "When's the last time that you had a good night's sleep?"

"I can rest when we get to the next town," Rick said.

Abraham sighed. "We can't stop in the next town," he said matter-of-factly. "We need to put as much distance between us and that herd as we can. Give us time to find another building, find more food, and fortify correctly. We can't risk rushing things and losing people." Rick's hand shook. Abraham glanced at him by way of the rearview mirror once again. "I know you didn't want to leave her behind," Abraham said gently. "None of us did. We just..._had _to. Michonne's tough. It's possible that she can make it and find her way back to us. But the next town just won't do. It's not safe."

Rick knew Abraham was right but he didn't like it. His mind raced, trying to go through every possibility of how they could possibly wait for or go back and rescue Michonne. Abraham seemed to know what he was thinking because he said gently. "Rick. That herd is just too big. If we go back, or if we sit and wait in an unsafe place...we'll be committing suicide. We keep moving forward. That's it."

Rick heard him but his mind kept racing through options anyway. There _had _to be something. He kept telling himself that as they rode straight through until the nighttime.

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Michonne had fashioned herself two new pet walkers and leashed them with the chains she and Abraham had previously used to keep the roof of the library safe. Now she walked through the streets of Greensboro looking for a vehicle. She had checked for the vehicle that Rick had taken from the guys at the gas station but it was no longer there. And she was quickly finding that a good, working vehicle was becoming harder and harder to find. Of all the cars she checked, either the gas had already been siphoned, it had been stripped of parts that enabled it to work, or it was locked and she couldn't find a silent way to get inside.

The growing sound of groans drew Michonne's eyes to the street behind her. The heart of the herd was coming up on her. She knew she couldn't stay on the street for much longer. The way those things were packed together, not even her two walkers or her gore-stained body would be able to conceal her scent for long. They would be too close. There would be too many. And there would be no way to escape.

Michonne looked around herself. The milling walkers were filling the street. Even if she were to find a car, she wouldn't be able to move fast. She would be blocked off. And then surrounded. And then killed. Michonne's heart crashed to her stomach and hope crashed with it. She wouldn't be catching up to her friends as soon as she had hoped. She didn't allow the disappointment to still her for long, instead she looked around for a place to stay. Seeing a hotel, she went towards it. She realized the irony of choosing a hotel because she had shot down the idea of staying in a hotel before. But circumstances were different now. She now had dead friends instead of live ones and she was now on her own.

Yanking on the two separate chains to get her pets to start walking, Michonne led them to the doors of the hotel. Surprisingly, they were open. She figured as long as the herd didn't suspect that she was in there only an average amount of walkers would continue to go in and out of the hotel. And as long as it was an average amount, she could move freely with her pets. And once she was upstairs in a room alone, she could lock up and fortify that sole room for protection. With her pets by her side. She would be completely surrounded by walkers, but as long as she continued to be careful and kept her pets by her side...she would be safe.

As she suspected, only a few walkers were walking aimlessly on the first floor. She easily surpassed them and went up the stairs to the third floor. A few walkers ambled up and down the hallway. Avoiding them, she quickly found a room that had a door which stood slightly ajar. She pushed the door open and carefully stepped inside to look around, the two walkers shuffling behind her. Nothing was immediately in front of her so she closed the door behind herself, not wanting anything to come in behind her. The door automatically locked.

Checking through the room, Michonne saw that the room was pretty much untouched; it was only in a state of slight disarray as if the previous owner had left in a hurry. It was a slightly fancy room with a sofa, a king bed, and a high definition television set. Michonne went into the bathroom and saw that it was empty as well. Getting slightly more reassured that nothing was in the room, Michonne moved a center piece table across the room and pushed it against the locked door as an added barrier. She then tied her walkers to the bed posts at the end of the bed.

Needing to check one more place, she pulled out her sword and went to the closet near the bathroom. Ready to fight if anything was in there, Michonne was still surprised when she threw open the door and was greeted with a six foot two male walker. Michonne sidestepped when it lunged toward her and easily sliced through his brain. It lay on the ground in very disproportionate pieces.

After wiping her blade clear of the mess of her kill and sheathing it once again, Michonne bent down to attempt to roll the large male walker into an area that was less in the way. But her stomach pain went through the roof at the strain and she quickly stopped. After taking a few breaths, Michonne was about to just fight through the pain and attempt it again when a realization stopped her altogether.

Suddenly she knew. She hadn't pulled anything from jumping through that roof earlier. She wasn't suffering from sudden, unnatural menstrual cramps. "No, no, no," Michonne whispered. She stood up and placed her hands on her stomach, her eyes wide. She suddenly knew with the surety that only a mother could have that she was pregnant. And she was threatening a miscarriage.

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Judith babbled happily as she was passed from Rick's arms to Glenn's. Maggie stared at the baby with a sad smile. "At least someone is happy," she said to Rick.

Rick couldn't even summon the energy to respond. He just laid a weary hand on Judith's head and went towards the back of the bus to talk to Carl. "Carl," he said, when he reached his kid's seat and stood over him. He didn't get a response. With a sigh, Rick sat down on the seat beside his son. "Carl," he said again. "I know you don't like what I did. I don't like it either, but-"

"I know," Carl interrupted. "You think you _had _to do it."

"I don't think. I know," Rick pressed.

"You didn't," Carl said quietly, his voice hard. "You didn't have to leave. She was on her way back."

"You don't know that, Carl."

"I do."

"You don't. And I would appreciate it if-" Rick was cut off when Carl met his eyes with a steely gaze.

"She was going to come back, Dad," he said. "She promised she wouldn't leave us. And she didn't. _We _left _her_."

Carl's statement kept playing in Rick's head as they drove on. Everyone was falling asleep around him but he stayed wide awake. Sitting on a seat up front, by himself, he looked over in slight surprise when he felt someone slip onto the seat next to him. By the light of the moon through the window, he saw that it was Jessie. He turned back to the front to focus on the seat ahead.

"I'm sorry about your friend," she started. "It's my fault that he's dead. Negan was going to kill me instead-"

Rick closed his eyes against her words. He wasn't in the mood to hear her apologies or even that man's name right now. He wanted to be alone. "Let's not talk about this right now," Rick said, turning to face her. "I'm not in the mood."

"...Okay," Jessie said, slightly taken aback. She was about to get up and leave when she thought of something. She sat back down. "I just wanted to tell you that...I felt safe with you there. Even bound and tied up on my knees like that. I know I'm not part of the group yet but...with you as the leader, I'm sure everyone feels the same way I do. You do your best to keep everyone safe. And that's all we can ask. As long as you continue to do that, you're doing what's right." Jessie couldn't tell if he was listening to her. He only continued to stare straight ahead. "I just wanted to tell you that because you've been walking around looking burdened...but...you don't need to be."

Still not getting a response, she decided to cut her losses for the night and went to stand up. But Rick's voice stopped her. "You don't need to feel guilty," he said. "About surviving. Don't ever feel guilty. If you do, you've let this world win."

A small smile lifted Jessie's lips. She was reassured by his words and the fact that he had even deemed to say something to her at all. Knowing that his words didn't need a response, she continued rising from his seat and went to her own empty one at the back. Slow but steady would win the race.

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Carol approached Daryl in the middle of the bus. He was draped low in the seat. His arms crossed against his chest and his forehead leaning against the window. She couldn't tell if he was asleep or awake.

"Psst!" she whispered. "Are you awake?"

There was a moment of silence and then Daryl responded. "...Yeah," he said with a quiet grunt.

"You okay?" Carol asked, sitting beside him.

Daryl didn't respond immediately. That meant he wasn't okay. "I'm okay as I can be considerin'..." he finally said.

Carol laid her hand on his shoulder. She knew what was on his mind.

"I made the call," Daryl said. "I was the first one to say we needed to leave. I keep thinkin' about what we maybe could have done different...so we didn't have to leave her-"

"There was nothing we could've done," Carol said. "You made the right call. You were just thinking about the good of the group. There's nothing wrong with that. Michonne would understand." A stoic sullenness washed over Carol. "I've been separated from the group before..." she said. "I know it sucks. But I made it. She can make it too."

Daryl was quiet for another long moment. "I was with Joe's group..." he said finally. "A group of rapists, theives, and murderers. I mean...I didn't know all that about 'em but...I knew they weren't exactly good people. But I was with 'em just so I wouldn't have to be alone out there."

Carol kept her hand on his shoulder, not knowing how else she could comfort him. "She'll make it," she repeated again. "She has to."

Further somewhere in the back of the bus, Father Gabriel approached a dejected Sasha who had been weakened by tears and hopelessness. She was slumped against the window of the bus and only gave Father Gabriel a careless glance before descending back into her quiet misery. The timid priest sat beside her. "Would – would you like me to pray for you?" he asked.

Sasha didn't respond.

He took her hand gently in his, but she pulled it away. "I'm not into any of that," she said, her voice hoarse.

Father Gabriel was hesitant but he reached for her hand again anyway. "Still..." he said. "Let me try. You never know when he'll choose to bestow his blessings on you."

Sasha rolled her eyes, but she didn't pull away again. She didn't have the energy. She could only sink into her misery as Father Gabriel started up a whispered prayer next to her. The words of the prayer were familiar to her but the meaning and hope she once felt upon hearing them were lost to her.

"Our Father, who art in Heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy Kingdom come

Thy will be done

On Earth, as it is in Heaven..."

Tears leaked anew from Sasha's eyes as the priest's meaningless words droned on into the darkness of a world that could no longer hear them. It seemed that Rick wasn't the only restless and sleepless person on the bus that night.

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Rick had a plan the following morning.

"We keep driving," he said to Abraham. "Don't stop. We're going to beat the herd to Alexandria and hold them out there. _If _they're heading there. Whenever you get tired of driving, just change shifts with someone. I've already let Glenn and a few others know of what we're gonna be doing."

Abraham nodded as he listened to Rick. As long as Rick gave him a plan that didn't include sitting and waiting, he was okay with it. He was okay with this. "Do you know how far we are from this Safe Zone?" he asked.

"Not exactly," Rick said. "But if what Jessie and Noah have said is true then I know we shouldn't be far. Maybe a few days...We'll be driving nonstop until we reach it. And whenever we're low on gas...well, just let me know and we'll figure out a plan for a supply run then."

Abraham nodded. "So just keep drivin'," he reaffirmed. "I can do that. Anything to keep those dead, smelly fuckers off our asses a lil' bit longer. And hopefully the pissants at this Alexandria Safe Zone will be able to handle a herd this size..._if _they're heading that way, as you said."

Rick nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose. This plan was the best he could do in the moment. It would keep his group safe for now and Michonne...she knew they were originally heading to the Safe Zone. So if she was alive, that would be her destination as well. And maybe after a couple of days at this Safe Zone...if she hadn't returned...he could gather a group and head out to look for her. It was something.

He paced down the aisle of the bus, his plan making him hopeful.

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The herd was thick around the hotel. Michonne heard them from where she sat in bed on the third floor. This was the fourth day that she would be stuck in this room. She _had _managed to search downstairs on the first floor during the second day thanks to her dead companions who now stood calmly tied to her bedposts once again. During that search, she had been majorly lucky to find the storage room of breakfast foods still mostly intact behind the counter area of the hotel. All of the bacon and sausage was ruined, of course, but she had old, stale muffins to eat for days. And she had even found some packs of bottled water.

She opened one of the muffins now and took a bite as she went over what her plan would be once the herd had passed. An atlas she had found in the room helped her make her route plans. It lay beside her now on the bed. She had formed a big circle around Virginia. From what Jessie and Noah had said, that's where the Alexandria Safe Zone was located.

She had given up on catching up with the group in the next couple of days. Her hand went to her stomach. Her body couldn't handle the continuous journey right now. She would take it slow. Catch up to the group at their destination, the Safe Zone. Since that was where they were heading. The problem was that the herd would be between her and Virginia.

"So I'll have to go around," Michonne muttered to herself. She wondered how many days back that would put her in catching up to her group.

There was that fear again. Michonne was beginning to feel it more and more. The fear of being alone in this world for a long period of time. Last night in the very same bed she was sitting in at the moment, she had shamefully let it take over and tears had spilled from her eyes. But she bottled it this time around. She couldn't let that fear make her irrational. Reckless. Especially now. When she wasn't _really _alone. She had another person growing inside of her to think about.

Resolutely, she began to mark a new route on the map. One that would take a longer time but would also possibly ensure her safety and the safety of the unborn child in her womb.

When she was done marking the map and she had time to lay back and let her mind wonder, she couldn't help but to think about how Rick would take the news of her pregnancy. He would, without a doubt, welcome the child but she also knew that he might feel an extra burden as well. A new responsibility. Someone else to worry about, fret over, and take care of.

Michonne stroked her stomach. Yes. This child may be all of those things and more. But to her, this child was also a second chance. A chance to succeed where she had failed before. This little bundle of life was going to be her world.

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A little more than a week of traveling, hunger, and scavenging for gas made it seem almost too good to be true when Rick's group came upon the walled city they had been looking for.

"This is it!" Jessie called, her eyes alight with happiness. "This is the Safe Zone! Guys, we made it!"

Everyone moved to the front of the bus to view the place they had been working so hard to get to. All they could see was a giant wall. It was blocking whatever was inside. Soon, a large gate opened and two men stepped out. They were both well-dressed and seemed in good spirits. Everyone waited for Rick's instruction.

He spoke after a few seconds of silence. "Let's go talk to 'em."

- I know, I know. No Michonne/Rick scenes! But I'm trying to make sure this is a well-developed story. Stay with me please! Things always get worse before they get better. XD


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: On the Brink

_8 Months Later_

Life at the Alexandria Safe Zone was good. The survivors now had warm beds to sleep in, electricity, and walls that stood between them and the walkers and other fearsome survivors outside. Along with the good things, of course they still had problems. Rick had been livid to find that their first run-in with Negan hadn't been the last of their meetings. Alexandria Safe Zone had apparently entered into a deal with Negan's group a while back which guaranteed them safety from the rogue survivor and his ruffians as long as they gave him half of their supplies.

The former leader of Alexandria Safe Zone, Douglas Monroe, had been too afraid to mess renege on the deal because he didn't want to risk any losses but it hadn't taken long for everyone in the community – even the leader – to notice Rick's leadership qualities and his ability to get things done and protect people. So it hadn't taken long for Rick to work his way up from Alexandria newcomer to trusted advisor, to – now – Alexandria Safe Zone leader himself. And he was not going to tolerate Negan's bullying much longer. He was now working on a plan with his group to further protect what they had found at Alexandria Safe Zone.

Jessie sat on the arm of the couch in Rick's home at the safe zone as he delegated tomorrow's missions to his group.

"Abraham." Everyone sat around in a circle and listened closely to Rick. "You continue leading the construction crew in expanding the walls around the jail. If we can get some sort of legal system back in place, we'll be well on our way back to a less primitive society. We can really start cracking down fairly with punishment."

"Will do, Rick," Abraham said. He sat with Rosita in his lap and leisurely fed her a piece of bread.

"Glenn...Maggie...if you can lead a supply run for more every day items and ammo, we can have enough to keep Negan off our backs while we formulate a plan to take him down. We'll keep with the deal for a while more until he feels like we've rolled over properly then we'll attack him when he least expects it." Rick looked around at his hardened friends to make sure they were up for that idea and when he got a nod, he continued. "We may even be able to talk the Hilltop into helping since they're not big fans of Negan either." The Hilltop was a neighbor community that also had a few streets and homes walled off against the dangers of the outside world and their community held a few more citizens than the Alexandria Safe Zone. The Hilltop and the Alexandria Safe Zone had actually managed to form a mutually beneficial deal of trade. The Safe Zone would trade food they were able to grow from all of their fertile farmland for some of the Hilltop's medicinal advantages. It was very convenient and it gave Rick hopes that society would actually form again and the world would rebuild.

"Sasha. You take watch in the watchtower while we're gone. If you can, switch out shifts with some of the more promising students in your shooting lessons." Sasha nodded as Rick spoke. "We don't want anybody wantin' what we got to try to attack this place. It's your job to give the people of this city warnin' if you see people like that." Sasha nodded again.

"Daryl. You and me are gonna take a couple of men and sweep the surrounding areas. Make sure we find and search any out-of-the-way cabins or anything...We never know what we might find." A brief silence followed Rick's words.

"Alright," Daryl said. "Do you wanna do another scour through of that area we searched last time?"

"Yeah," Rick responded. "And we may need to take a few more weapons and men-"

"Hey, I'm sorry. Can I say something here?" Abraham interrupted. Rick turned his head to look at him. "I hate to be the Debbie Downer here, but I feel like it needs to be said."

"What needs to be said?" Rick asked, a muscle clenching in his jaw. He thought he might know where this was going.

"It's time that we all accept the fact that Michonne is probably dead." A tense air filled the room and everyone turned to glance at Rick. He stayed sitting in his seat, still as a statue. "I mean, I was gung-ho as everybody else when we first started searching but after the first few weeks, I started thinking we probably weren't gonna find her. And we're just wastin' ammo and riskin' lives by going out there day after day, week after week, _month _after _month_."

"Greensboro was completely free of _any _trace of her," Rick growled out from between his teeth. "_Nothing._ There was nothing to indicate that she was dead-"

"Nothing to indicate that she was alive either!" Abraham boomed.

"Not even her _sword_!" Rick pressed on, talking over Abraham's outburst. "If she were dead, she would have died fighting, meaning her sword would be left behind if she had been bitten or overpowered-"

"You don't know that! Anything could have happened!" Abraham yelled, leaning forward in his seat. "If she was overpowered by humans, they probably would have taken the sword! Hell! She may have even run into Negan's group and gotten _her _skull bashed in too-!"

"You shut the hell up!" Rick stood up quickly and advanced on Abraham, his eyes dark and dangerous. Daryl and Glenn stood up to get between the two men.

"Abraham!" Rosita reprimanded. But she was pushed aside as Abraham stood to face Rick. He knew that he probably went too far in his blunt use of words but he was just trying to get across to Rick how foolish it was to go out and continue to look for someone who was leaving no trail, dead or alive.

"We _can't _keep wastin' resources!" Abraham pushed, not backing down. "It may seem like we have a lot now, but we're running lower and lower on supplies everyday. We need to keep our stock intact and our people safe. Two men were injured on the last search!"

"She's out there," Rick said. "I _feel _it!" He looked around at the other survivors in their group, looking for someone to back him up. They all shifted their gaze away from him. He sighed. He knew that he sounded crazy. Like someone grasping at straws. But when they managed to make it back to Greensboro to look for Michonne and they had found no sign of her...Instead of being discouraged, he had felt hope. Hope that she escaped and was out there looking for them.

"You're the only one that feels that way, Rick," Abraham said sympathetically. He hated calling it done on the search for Michonne as well, but he needed to be realistic. It just didn't do any good to hold onto senseless hopes.

"I'm with you man," Daryl said to Rick, when his eyes turned to him. "I'll keep searching. As long as it takes."

Maggie gave her opinion as well. "If it were Glenn," she said. "I'd keep looking too..." She stared at Rick and nodded her support. "You do what you have to do."

Abraham sighed his disagreement and Rick nodded, glad to know that he had _some _support. But he only knew it was because Daryl felt almost as guilty as he did about leaving her behind and Maggie was a hopeless romantic. None of them really believed that Michonne was still alive. Not like he and Carl did. He looked up and around at the group and then at the digital clock blinking ten on the mantelpiece. "Have any of you seen Carl?" he asked.

Everyone's heads turned in multiple directions. The boy wasn't back yet and it was curfew. "The last I saw him he was hanging out with that Ron kid," Sasha said.

Ron was a boy they had brought into the Alexandria Safe Zone with a group of other people but he was without parents. Jessie had managed to place him with two foster parents (a couple in the Alexandria Safe Zone who had wanted a child of their own but couldn't have one) but the woman had recently died so the boy was now without a mother again. Rick was glad that Carl was getting the chance to make friends with children around his own age again but he wasn't a big fan of Ron. The kid seemed troubled. And his recent grief wouldn't help matters.

"Where were they headed?" Rick asked Sasha. Just as Rick was about to open the door to give a quick scan around to see if he could spot Carl, the boy walked into the room. He noticed the odd atmosphere when he walked in.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Where were you?" Rick demanded.

"Out," Carl said simply. He looked around at all of the people gathered in his living room. He could tell a meeting had just happened or was in the process of happening. "Is there something I can do?" he asked.

"Yeah," Rick growled. "Go to school." He pushed Carl's shoulder gently, guiding him to the stairs. "Go to your room and sleep so that you can be ready to get up in the morning."

Carl grimaced. There was so much more important things that he could be doing besides going to school. He knew that and his father knew that. He just wished that his father would stop trying to make him be this normal kid that he wasn't. Normal wasn't going to happen. It was too late. "Fine," he said. He wouldn't argue it this time, but he was soon have to tell his father that he wasn't planning on going to school anymore. He barely went now. He would usually just pretend to go so that his father wouldn't hound him but really, he'd just leave the house to go wander around the compound. He had started to practice throwing knives accurately at a target he had made down by one of the empty fields that kids used to play in. It would usually be empty because other kids would be actually attending class.

Carl made his way upstairs and closed the door to his room. When he was inside, he threw himself down on his bed and covered his eyes with his arm. He hated his room. He hated this house. He hated Alexandria Safe Zone. Everyone else was laughing it up and acting like they were in heaven. Acting like everything was alright. But it wasn't. Nothing was alright. No one was safe no matter how much they wanted to believe it. No one was ever safe.

The group soon cleared out of Rick's home after everyone had been given their missions. Rick and Daryl had agreed to go out in search of Michonne despite Abraham's dissatisfaction. They managed to sway him a little when they reminded him that searching nearby housing locations wouldn't hurt anyway because they could see if someone dangerous was nearby. Or someone who needed help. Or they may find much needed supplies.

When everyone was gone, Jessie lingered.

"Do you want me to do anything tomorrow?" she asked. "Thanks to all of you, I've gotten pretty good with a knife. I can take down walkers just as well as anyone else. I could go on the other side of the wall on supply runs to help the group."

"No," Rick said. "It's okay. I know you don't like to go out there. Besides...the women and kids here love you. You've been a great help to them. They'd worry if you left."

Things with Jessie had been a little strange since they had reached Alexandria. When the group first arrived, it was clear that Jessie was known in the protected city. But the group thought that should have been impossible since Jessie had clearly told them that she had never been there. It was soon revealed, though, - through their meeting with the leader – that she had lied. Jessie had been to Alexandria and had actually been very prominent there before her husband led her away. It was then that Jessie confessed about what she had allowed to happen to her husband. And she had lied because she was afraid of how the group would see her after knowing that fact.

It was true that their view of her was not good after that. But it hadn't been very good in the first place. She had lost a bit of the trust she had gained, yes, but there was not much trust regarding her in the first place.

Ever since then, though, she had only proved as an asset. She was valuable, capable, and had good ideas. She had presented a unique idea to Douglas while he was still in charge to help lonely people connect, build families, and help repopulate the earth. She was basically a matchmaker for lonely singles who wanted to build a family. She also helped lonely children like Ron, who found themselves on their own, find families that would take them in. Her little matchmaking gig was actually getting rave reviews; they now had four very satisfied pregnant women in their community. This provided hope for the future.

"I worry when _you _leave," Jessie said.

Rick felt her walk up behind him and he didn't pull away when she wrapped her arms around his chest and pressed herself against his back. He actually tried to feel something. It would be so much easier than holding onto what could possibly be a false hope.

"I don't want you to go," Jessie whispered. "It could be dangerous."

"Maybe she's really gone," Rick said. "Maybe I'm just driving myself crazy with this. It wouldn't be the first time..."

Jessie rested her chin against his back, hopeful. "I know you cared for her," she said. "But it's been eight months. _Eight _months. It's almost impossible that she made it alone."

Rick removed Jessie's arms from around him and stepped away from her embrace. "I just have to know," he said. "Somethin's tellin' me that now's not the time to stop looking." He glanced up when he felt someone looking at him and sighed when the door to Carl's bedroom closed quickly. He didn't know what his son was thinking these days. He figured he'd have to find a time to talk to him.

"Well..." Jessie said, trying to hide her utter disappointment. "If going out there helps you in some way, I say go for it. But the people in this community look to you for answers now. If something were to happen to you while you're out there chasing ghosts...everyone would lose morale."

'Ghosts...' Rick's teeth clenched together. He hated that no one believed him when he spoke about her possibly being alive but he even more he hated the fear that clenched his gut, telling him that they might be right. "I need time alone," he said from between his teeth.

Jessie hesitated for a moment, staring at Rick. She was frustrated. She had spent a long time just waiting. She thought he would have gotten over her by now. 'I put in a lot of work convincing Douglas that you're the right man for this job and singing your praises to the people here,' she thought. 'I'm going to have you Rick.' Her determination settled in the set of her jaw and she moved forward to kiss Rick lightly on the cheek. "Okay," she said, forcing herself to back away even though she wanted to make him look at her. "I'll be right next door if you need me."

Rick listened to the clack of Jessie's shoes as she walked away and then the shutting of the door as she closed it behind herself. He closed his eyes, shook his head, and scracted his brow. He just didn't know what to do about Jessie. He had assumed that her little crush on him would die after a few weeks, but she continued to pursue him. He knew that it was unfair to her not to tell her that he wasn't planning on entering another relationship any time soon. That he _couldn't _enter another relationship any time soon. But he was never good with handling women. He didn't know how to shake a woman off without hurting her.

He slowly made his way up to Carl's room with heavy feet. Judith was sleeping in a crib downstairs. She had miraculously been sleeping from lunch time since he had put her down. He attributed her lack of being fussy to her having tired herself out yesterday from using her newfound legs to get from point A to point B multiple times. Point A being one end of the house and Point B being the complete opposite end. She had tired herself out. Rick knocked on Carl's door. He didn't get a response. He opened it anyway. Carl was lying on his bed, his arms crossed over his chest, his legs crossed at the ankles and his hat pulled down over his face. "Carl..." Rick started slowly.

"Do you like Jessie?" Carl asked Rick before he could get anything out.

"What?" Rick asked.

"Jessie. Do you like her."

Rick put his hands on his hips and sighed. "I like her as a person, yes," he said. "But if you're asking whether I like her like I liked your mom-"

"And Michonne."

"And Michonne...Then no. I don't like her in that way."

"Good," Carl said. "'Cause Michonne's coming back and she would kick her ass."

Rick stared at Carl for a moment. "Carl," he said. "What makes you so sure? That Michonne's coming back?" He needed some of Carl's faith. Because his logical mind was struggling with his own faith.

"She wasn't in the tree," Carl said. "She didn't give up then so she hasn't given up now."

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Michonne didn't know where the hell she was. She knew that she was somewhere in the mountains of Virginia but that was it. She had had to detour and fall back so many times that she had become lost somewhere on her way to Alexandria. The map she had marked her route on had been lost somewhere between being chased by walker number fifty-seven and avoiding stranger number eighteen. And now she had bigger problems.

A particularly painful contraction caused her to double over and almost fall to her knees.

She was going into labor.

Her stomach protruding past the tips of her shoes now, Michonne quickly waddled her way back to the cabin she had managed to find and clear out for the sake of her impending birthing process. The cabin was conveniently placed inside a wall of rocks and tall brush. It would be hard for anyone – dead or undead – to spot it.

'I knew I shouldn't have gone to look for any damn berries!' Michonne reprimanded herself. She had known her due date was drawing nearer a few days ago from when she felt her child moving more actively in her stomach.

When she made it to the cabin, she threw the door open and then quickly bolted it behind her. She moved a chair over to the door and barred it further by leaning it right underneath the doorknob. "Aah!" She let out a quiet pained sound, aware that there may be a few walkers wandering around.

"Come on," she whispered aloud to her little unborn companion. "We've made it this far. We can make it a few more steps." She hobbled to the bed and laid a blanket across the sheets she had been sleeping on for the past couple of nights. She prepared scissors, a towel, and a bowl of water in a chair beside the bed. Then she removed her sword, shawl, pants, and underwear and laid down. Grabbing onto the rope she had attached to the head board for those hard-to-get-through pains, Michonne waited for the next almost unbearable pain. Sweat covered her forehead and chest.

"Gah!" She tightened her grip on the rope and buried her face in her arm, trying to quiet her pained scream. The contractions were coming quicker. She would have to push soon. "Whoo, whoo, whoo," she breathed. Fear was washing over her in waves. "Guhhh!" She clenched her teeth together to keep her screams quiet. It hurt. It hurt so much.

"Rick," she whispered. "Rick, please help me."

A huge pain ripped through her body. "It's time. Push. Now." Michonne turned her head to see Rick there in the room with her. Tears filled Michonne's eyes as fear and pain made her emotions become hectic. "Guhh!" she grunted as she pushed. It was painful but now that she started, she had to push through.

"Again," Rick said, his blue eyes looking at her with worry and excitement. "You can do it. You're almost through."

Michonne chuckled through the pain. "Liar. I just started." His hand reached forward to stroke her hair as he wore a gentle smile and Michonne tried to lean into his touch but another pain made her close her eyes tight.

"Push, Michonne," Rick encouraged. "Carl and Judith will be excited to see their baby sister or brother."

Michonne pushed until she had to give up. "I can't," she said, her head falling back against her pillow. "I can't. It hurts too much. I can't do this by myself."

"You're not by yourself." Rick was leaning over her now, stroking her hair and wiping the sweat from her face. "I'm with you. And you _can _do this. You're badass Michonne, remember? We'll do anything to protect our family."

Michonne gave another push. "It's coming! It's coming!" Excitement was on Rick's face. "Keep pushing!"

Michonne felt like she was lying there for hours. Pushing. Resting. Getting encouragement. Then pushing again. After a while, Michonne felt her consciousness leaving her from all the strain and pain she was going through. "You can't give up yet, Michonne," Rick said. His concerned and caring face was close to hers. "You're almost there. You've gotta bring this baby home to us. So he can meet his family."

A slow tear leaked from the corner of Michonne's eye. "Why did you leave me alone, Rick?" she whispered. "I miss you so much."

"I know. I'm sorry. We didn't have a choice. We're all waiting for you. If you wanna get back to us, you gotta push. Now."

"Aaah!" Michonne screamed as she gave one final push, using the rest of her energy.

A few seconds later, the wailing cry of a newborn baby started up in the cabin. The tears of pain in Michonne's eyes turned to tears of joy and she turned to Rick. "You did it, Michonne. You did it. Now come home to us."

Michonne reached out to touch his cheek but he was gone.

The cries of her baby called to her and Michonne weakly grabbed the scissors from the chair she had placed beside the bed and cut the umbilical cord. She then put the scissors away and gently lifted the life she had brought forth into her arms. "You're beautiful," she whispered. "My baby boy." She took the towel she had placed in the chair and dunked it into the water before gently wiping away the gunk that covered her baby's face so that she could see it clearer. When she was done clearing him up, she wrapped her shawl around him and leaned against the headboard with him in her arms. "We did it, baby," she whispered. "We did it all on our own."

The small child stopped crying long enough to let out a content gurgle. Michonne smiled and cradled the child comfortably in the crook of her elbow. She stared at the baby for at least an hour before it began to draw long, deep breaths. It was asleep. Michonne drowned in the love of her baby for a moment more before she, herself, succumbed to the drowsiness that she had fought against earlier.

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The sound of thuds at the door woke Michonne. She knew immediately that it was walkers. A couple of them must have trudged by and somehow knew that she was in there. Michonne looked at the door. It only sounded like about two and the barrier she had created was holding. She didn't have to worry about it for now. But she drew her sword closer. Just in case.

After glaring at the door for a couple of minutes, Michonne looked down at her baby. He was waking as well. New early morning light was streaming through the window. They both must have slept through the night. Michonne felt her scowl leaving her at the simple uncontrollable way that the newborn moved his arms since he didn't have proper motor skills yet. He let out some confused gurgles. Michonne took that to mean he was hungry. She released herself from her shirt and breastfed him with pride. When he latched onto her nipple immediately, Michonne praised him for being so smart.

He finished eating and Michonne lay down on her side with him propped in the crook of her elbow once again. She was ready to spend this day as she had the other one. Lost in her baby's face. "Your eyes are so big," she marveled quietly. "Is it because you want to see everything? You want to see your Mama's face?" His big eyes blinked up at her curiously. She chuckled. "You wanna see your daddy's face? Hopefully he hasn't let his beard get out of control again or else you're gonna be in for a scare."

Thoughts of the future flooded Michonne's head. "I'm going to teach you to fight," she said. "So Judith can't beat you up. She's so much bigger than you," Michonne teased.

"I've been trying to think of a name for you," Michonne continued. "Cedric? Laken? Isaiah? Stop me when you hear something you like." The baby's eyes closed drowsily. "Hm? That bad, huh?" she chuckled. "You're just going to sleep on me again." She brushed her hand gently across the baby's face, admiring the little patch of hair that was already growing on his head.

Noticing something odd, her brow furrowed and she wiped her hand gently across the baby's face again. His eyelids didn't twitch. Nothing. Her heart sped up frantically when she saw a stillness about him that he didn't have during his first nap. He wasn't breathing deeply. He wasn't breathing at all.

"No," she whispered. "No. No. No! NO!"

She pinched her baby's cheeks gently. "Wake up," she chanted. "Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up." Unwrapping her shawl from around him, she placed her index finger and her middle finger on his small chest. There was no heartbeat. Michonne began to massage his heart gently and frantically. "Please, please, please. PLEASE!"

"You can't do this to me! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" She screamed at the sky. The incessant knocking on the door grew louder. Michonne didn't care. She put her mouth over her baby's mouth and nose, trying to breathe air back into its small body. It didn't work.

A large fist seemed to clench around Michonne's heart and she couldn't breathe. She felt like she was reliving a moment in hell. Her hands shook over her child's still body; she wanted to touch him, to help him but she didn't know how. He was too small. Too fragile. "I- I don't- I had him!" she wailed, not understanding what was happening or why. "I had hi- I had you! I breast fed you. You were breathing! Everything was oka- Everything was okay!"

She stood up from the bed and her little baby that, for reasons unknown, was no longer breathing. Michonne clutched at her head as she paced around the room. Her thoughts weren't making sense. None of this was making sense. Her eyes found her baby again, lying still on the bed and her hands shook.

"What?" she whispered to the world. "What? WHAT?! Are you telling me to give up?! Is that it? Should I cut my throat and bleed out right here?" Michonne grabbed her sword to do just that but the weight of her grief brought her to her knees. She had to use her sword to hold her upper body weight. Tears leaked from behind her eyes. And her grief turned to anger. "No," she whispered. "No. Fuck you, world. I'm not cutting my throat. I'm not gonna die. Not if that's what you want. I'm going to live to spite you. Whoever is playing this fucked up game. I'm...I'm gonna live. Somehow..."

Michonne collapsed to the ground and lay there, staring up at the ceiling with the dead banging at her door.

- This was the horrible thing I warned you guys about. I hated having to put Michonne through something like that again. I literally was crying as I wrote it. When she was screaming "You can't do this to me" at the world, I felt like she was screaming at me even though I was the one writing it.

Don't hate me too long guys. Leave me reviews. Let me know if you think Michonne can fully come back from this. She's gonna be pretty broken. -


	13. Chapter 13

- Gosh, some of you guys really put me through the wringer for my last chapter. I know what happened was horrible and made even more so by the fact that it was so sudden. I considered writing more about Michonne's journey while she was pregnant, but my story would have ended up being way longer than I want it to be. I hope everyone keeps reading to see how the story plays out.

And oh yeah...there's more of a time skip. -

Chapter 13:

_1 Year Later_

A young man with pale skin and curly black hair was traveling through the woods of Virginia. He had a limp, he was alone, and he was very much afraid. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Or followed. Or both. He swung around when he heard something that sounded like the crunch of twigs.

'Oh, god,' he thought. 'Please let that have been my imagination. Or a rabbit. Or a rabbit in my imagination.'

He hurried on, wishing that there was a safe haven that he could call his destination. But there was none. He was only wandering aimlessly at the moment, hoping that he would soon run across a cave or something that he cold hole up in for the night.

A sticky wetness dripped down his leg and made the fabric of his pants stick to his skin. He hoped he wasn't losing too much blood. The dizziness in his head could be an effect of that though. Or it was an effect of the nausea he felt from being lost and alone.

"Ah!" He screamed when a sharp pain shot through his leg and caused him to fall to the ground. His eyes widened with fright and surprise when he was able to see what had caused the pain. The handle of a knife was sticking out of his thigh, the blade embedded. "What the fu-?" he breathed, fear causing his heart to beat quicker. He reached toward the handle to take the knife out, his hand shaking from the pain but a voice stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A lilting female voice teased him. His eyes traveled over to the trees as a woman emerged from between them. She was young. About nineteen and her black hair was worn in a braid down her back that rested just above her waist, which was adorned with a belt full of knives. Her full lips were twisted into a smirk and her dark eyes were shadowed by even darker lashes. He could just make out her caramel colored skin in the fading daylight. "The knife missed your femoral artery. But just barely. If you pull it out with your clumsy hands, you'll surely knick something. And we won't be able to put you back together again."

'We?' The young man caught onto the word and grew even more fearful.

He turned his head when he saw someone move on the other side of him. Someone else was stepping out. Another young woman. Identical to the first. They were twins.

"Wha- what do you want from me?" the young man asked. "I-I don't have anything."

"You have plenty." A new voice emerged and the young man knew he was in trouble when the ringleader of the small group stepped out. The first thing he noticed was the sword, glistening in the remaining light of the day. Then his eyes rose to rest on the dark-skinned woman's face. And he was afraid. Her face didn't show reluctance like the second twin's face. Or delight. Like the twin with the knives. Her face was calm. Decided. He knew that there would be no reasoning with her. Whatever she had planned for him, she was going to go through with it.

She stepped closer to him and he found his voice. He was going to try to talk his way out of this – whatever this was – anyway.

"I have a group, you know," he said. "They're gonna come looking for me. And trust me...you don't want them to come looking."

"You may have had a group," Michonne said. "But you've been on your own for hours now. We've been watching you." She stepped closer and the boy inched away.

"You think you can scare me?" he asked, his voice high-pitched. "Three women?"

Michonne's eyebrow hitched. "We're armed; you're not. And you're temporarily disabled. So, yeah...I think we can scare you."

"I'm not unar-" the young man started.

"You ran out of bullets a few miles back and your only knife got stuck in a walker's skull," Michonne informed him, revealing that she _had _been following him for quite a while as she had first claimed. "We should be heading back before we run into anymore of them out here."

"Back? Back where?" His stomach dropped and he spoke out in fear. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Yes, you are," Michonne said. She sheathed her sword and stepped before him. He didn't know what she was planning until he saw the bottom of her boot. And then he was unconscious.

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The eyes that stared back at Rick from his reflection in the mirror looked tired and his shoulders felt heavy. It had been a year and eight months since he had joined the Alexandria Safe Zone and for most of that time, he had been the leader. It was a little less stressful leading people from behind the safety of walls but it was still stressful all the same. And the ongoing war he had going with Negan wasn't helping matters.

He had managed to beat Negan and his men into a corner a few times so that they wouldn't continue to take their supplies but he knew it was only a matter of time before Negan struck again and struck hard. They had both obtained losses on both sides and he wished that it would end. So he was putting plans in motion to cause that to happen. This was the first safe city that Rick could actually see himself and Carl growing up in. He couldn't allow there to be threats. Especially threats as dangerous as Negan. The last battle they had taken part in with the psychopath and his followers, who called themselves the Saviors, had caused so many losses and damages that an unspoken temporary truce had formed so that both parties could heal and regroup. This truce had been going on for about six months now. It would soon be coming to an end.

"Rick?" Rick wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door as Jessie's voice called to him. He had just gotten out of the shower and his hair was still wet.

"What is it?" he asked, facing her. She was standing at his door wearing a big smile and one of his t-shirts only. He glanced down at her and back up. Jessie pouted when his expression didn't change to one of ravaging lust.

"Mmm..." She said, holding out the sides of his shirt in a displaying gesture. "Does this not turn you on?"

"I can't really focus on anything like that right now, Jessie," he said, moving around her. "I've got some things to think about."

Jessie followed him to his room as he went to his closet to get dressed. She hesitated in the doorway and stood there, propping her heel up to stand on one leg. "Right from the early morning?" she asked. "You know there is one sure-fire way to stop this war from starting again..."

Rick sighed. He knew what she was going to say. "We're not rolling over for him," Rick said. "We can't afford to give him half our supplies with each visit and we're not gonna take him killing one or two of our people on a whim whenever the mood strikes him. It's not happening."

"One or two people may be better than the amount we've lost with this war..." Rick scowled over at her, his blue eyes flashing, and Jessie knew she had gone too far. She shrugged. "But you know I'm with you whatever you decide." Jessie moved forward to help straighten Rick's collar. "And so is everyone else. You've done wonders for this place Rick. And everyone knows it. We'll follow you to the grave."

Jessie stood on her toes and placed a quick kiss against Rick's lips. Again, he was unaffected.

Rick didn't know what he was doing. He had given in to Jessie's physical advances a few times before, but it had never been anything more than that. He couldn't feel anything past his skin and he was wondering if maybe that was for the best. "I think maybe you shouldn't stay at my place anymore," Rick said. Her eyes were constantly telling him that she wanted more than he could give so he felt like an asshole whenever he looked at her. It was a burden he didn't need.

A flash of pain and anger slid across Jessie's face but she wasn't able to respond due to a knock on the door. Rick answered it to see Daryl and a few other men on the other side. "We lost Spencer on our run," Daryl said, not waiting for an invite and stepping around Rick to go inside. "A shelf fell on him; he managed to get out from under it and we were gonna go back and get him but a herd swamped us. We figured we'd get more men and go back out for him tomorrow."

Rick nodded. "Do that. But you stay here. I need you to be in the guard tower. I want Sasha to spend a little more time training our people to shoot from now on. Nicholas can lead the search for Spencer." Rick cast a glance at Nicholas and got a nod of affirmation.

"Alright," Daryl said. He noticed Jessie sulking in the corner. "Hey, Jessie," he said. "Olivia wanted to talk to you about Ron. She said he's been givin' her trouble."

Jessie didn't utter a word and left the house in only Rick's shirt and with her arms folded.

"What's her problem?" Daryl asked.

Rick only shrugged. It wasn't something he could worry about right now. And he had plenty of t-shirts.

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The two sisters sat inside the perimeters of Michonne's camp on a wooden table. Maya played with a dagger between her fingers and Shaya sat quietly, deep in thought. "It's amazing," Maya said, her eyes sweeping around the "walls" of the place. "What she's done."

The walls of Michonne's camp were made up of erected logs looped with barbed wire and standing right before the wall were a line of armless and jawless walkers. They were all chained together and spanned the perimeter of the camp, all the way around. The camp consisted of six cabins, a stream, and a small farming area. It was small but Michonne said it was all they needed. For now. It used to be some kind of campground before the world changed.

"Just think. She had to mutilate at least sixty of those things to make this barrier," Maya continued to marvel. "Barrier of the dead..." she nodded her head, proud of her new title for the wall of walkers. "I like it."

"I don't..." her sister said quietly. "They creep me out. And it's too open."

"That's the beauty of it," Maya responded. "We don't need huge walls or anything like that with these things protecting us. The dead just linger and then walk on by. Even when we move around in here, they think we're just another one of them since they can't smell us. And they don't _stay _around because our mutilated friends are so docile since they can't eat that they're not alerting their friends to how alive we really are." Maya smiled. "It's genius."

"Yeah," Shaya said, still not a fan. "They're great at protecting us from other undead things but what if a group of humans comes by here and tries to get inside? _That's _where the danger is. I keep thinking about what that last guy we took said. He said he had a group that would come looking for him."

Maya gave her sister a disdainful look. "Us?" she asked. "In danger? Have you _seen _us? We're killing machines. If Spencer's group even gets close, they're dead. Besides...we also have those booby traps that Morgan set up. He did say his name was Spencer when we interrogated him yesterday morning, right?"

"Your arrogance is going to get you killed," Shaya said, not bothering to answer her last question. "Michonne's influencing you."

"Michonne isn't arrogant," Maya began to carve a design in the table.

"I know," Shaya said. "Michonne isn't anything. She scares me. I haven't even seen her get angry."

"What's wrong with that?"

"A person should feel something."

"Not in this world they shouldn't..." Maya mumbled.

Shaya stared at her sister for a moment. "Why do you always defend her?" Her voice rose a bit in anger. "She slaughtered our entire camp in their sleep."

Maya's eyes shot upward to stare into her sister's own, catching them and holding them there. "She saved us. If she wouldn't have come along, I would have killed every one of those men myself."

Shaya looked away. "She didn't have to kill father." Her voice was soft, sadness blanketing the words.

Maya sighed and stuck her dagger back into the belt at her waist. "Yes she did," she said, before standing up to leave the table.

Michonne winced as she took the hooded shawl from around her shoulders. 'I must have bruised it yesterday during practice,' she thought to herself. She stood in the middle of the room that must have once been a camp counselor's. She hadn't changed much about it. Just cleaned it up a little bit. When she first arrived, there had been a body inside and blood and brain matter on the walls.

"Realizing you're not invincible?" A deep voice from behind her caused Michonne to pause in her actions but she continued once she recognized the voice to be Morgan's. She slid the shawl off and draped it over the back of a chair that stood next to her in front of a desk.

"I always knew I wasn't invincible," Michonne replied. "Nobody is."

Morgan couldn't keep his eyes from traveling along Michonne's fit body. She wore a white tank top and black pants. He cleared his throat. "Listen," he said, walking further into the room. "I wanted to talk to you about that new kid y'all brought back. What do you plan to do with him?"

Michonne picked up her sword, which she had temporarily placed on the bed and sat down with it in her lap. She unsheathed it, grabbed a nearby cloth, and began to clean it. "The same thing I've done with everyone else. Ask him if he wants to stay. If he doesn't, he's free to go."

Morgan folded his arms across his chest. "Your recruitment methods leave a lot to be desired, don't they? Aren't you afraid that one of these days you're going to bring the wrong person in here?"

"I'm careful about who I bring here," Michonne answered simply.

"Yeah, but don't you think your approach is too heavy-handed?" Morgan asked. Michonne continued to clean her sword. "You had Maya stab him in the leg!"

"She said she didn't hit anything vital."

"That's not the point." Morgan sighed. "I know what you're trying to do here Michonne. And it's all well and good. But if you don't let others know what you're thinking, you're going to raise a community that resents you instead of one that respects you. This could so easily twist into something that's...not right."

"I'm not raising a community," Michonne said.

"That's exactly what you're doing Michonne," Morgan retorted. "The minute you started taking people in, you became a leader. People are looking to you for answers and protection now, whether you want it or not. There are eight people here now and those eight people are your responsibility."

Michonne's hand slowed on her blade. "That's never what this was supposed to be. I just needed to bring people here. Together. Once they're here, they're on their own."

Morgan shook his head. "You have two pregnant women here, Michonne. It can't be like that. And you know it."

Morgan watched the mysterious woman in front of him for a moment longer. He remembered when he first met her. He had come across a cabin that had five excited walkers outside. Curious about what had them so interested, he had dispatched of them and then peered inside the window to see this woman sitting draped against a wall with a newborn in her lap. Her arms had become too weak to hold it anymore. It had taken him a moment to place her as the woman he had seen with Rick and his kid a long while ago. It wasn't until he was inside that he saw that the baby was dead and the woman was barely any better. He surmised that she must have gone a week without food, water, or sleep.

"I'm going to bury your baby," he had said after sitting with her for a little while. He had been surprised when she found the strength to clutch her baby away from him and speak.

Her lips had opened and closed as if it was a struggle for her to find words. "I'll do it," she had rasped, her throat dry and her lips cracked.

Morgan had then merely been a spectator as Michonne ate and drank the water he gave her, gathered her strength, and immediately set out on a journey to which only she knew where it led. He could only follow, concerned and fascinated by this woman before him.

He surmised that she had somehow separated from Rick's group but she wouldn't go into how or why. "I don't know everything that's happened with you," he spoke now. "And I don't know what happened with you and Rick..." Michonne gripped her sword. "But you know I was on my way to find them before I met you. And I think it's time I started looking again."

"Go ahead," Michonne said.

Morgan felt hurt. "You don't give a damn whether I stay or go, do you?" Michonne didn't respond; she didn't look at him. "Well, I care about you. I haven't cared about another woman like this since...well, since my wife..."

Michonne stopped fiddling with her sword and sheathed it once again. She held it in her lap and finally looked Morgan in the eye. "I'm not interested, Morgan."

"God damn it, Michonne." She wasn't sparing him at all. "I know. I just- I think you should come with me. This place is safe against walkers, but I'm afraid of what might happen here if the wrong people come around."

"I can take care of myself."

"What about those pregnant women out there? They're not in any condition to fight. If Rick and his group managed to find this Alexandria Safe Zone, then...that's where we should be. It's gotta be close. We've just been looking in the wrong places."

"Michonne!" Maya came in looking wide-eyed.

Michonne immediately stood up. "What?"

"There's a group of men approaching on horseback."

Michonne slung her sword over her shoulder. "Get Shaya and go to the trees," she said. "Morgan, go to Sarah's house and be ready to snipe. Let everyone know to stay inside." She nodded at Maya. "Let's go."

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Rick stared at Carl from across the table. He had no idea what his son was thinking these days. He no longer wore Rick's sheriff's hat.

"This is the third time parents have come here complaining to me about you beating their kid up. What's wrong with you, Carl?"

"He deserved it," Carl responded. He was carving a wooden block into some kind of shape. Rick couldn't tell what it was yet.

"That kid deserved to get beaten so bad that he can no longer see out of his right eye?" Carl was silent. "We came here so that we could be more civilized, Carl. Not less so."

"That _kid _wasn't civilized either," Carl said. "He was threatening to rape a girl."

A short relief went through Rick. He was glad that Carl was justifying his actions. It still wasn't right, but at least he knew Carl had some kind of reason and wasn't just beating kids for the sake of it. Sometimes he feared that Carl had a violence in him that Rick just didn't know how to handle. "Yeah, well, next time notify an adult," Rick said. "We'll handle it."

Carl glanced up at him as if he didn't believe him and went back to carving. Rick opened his mouth to speak again but there was a banging on the door that interrupted him. He opened it and was surprised when a bloodied Nicholas came stumbling through the door. Daryl was behind him and holding him up. "What happened?" Rick asked Daryl.

"I saw him, Mike, and Fred comin' up the road like this," Daryl responded. "Them and the horses lookin' spooked as hell. I tried to take him to the infirmary but he said he needed to come here and see you. I don't know anymore than that."

"We- we have a new group to watch out for," Nicholas said, breathing hard. He held his side, a long gash went from his chest to his hip. But thankfully, it didn't seem fatally deep. "It was crazy." Rick led him to his couch as he spoke. He didn't worry about the blood. "Their camp has – has walkers guarding it. All around."

"Slow down," Rick said. "Drink this." He held out a glass of water that Carl brought to him and Nicholas quickly took a sip to salve his parched throat when Rick held it to his lips. "Tell us what happened," he said after Nicholas swallowed.

Nicholas slowed his breathing and winced against the pain. "We didn't know what we were seeing at first. We stood outside this group of...dead things and just yelled for somebody to come out and talk to us. From Spencer's tracks, we figured these people might know somethin'. It didn't seem like much really...I mean...besides the chained up dead things being used as some type of fence. The rest of the camp is pretty small. Nothin' we couldn't handle. So we kept callin' but nobody came out. So we threatened to go in by force." He took a breath.

"Then it all happened so fast. Sean got a knife in the head." Rick's stomach dropped. Sean had been one of his best supply runners alongside Glenn. "And then they came from the trees. They had somehow gotten behind us."

"Who came from the trees?" Rick asked.

"Three Charlie's Angels-like bitches."

"Three women?" Daryl asked. "Were they by themselves?"

"They had somebody snipin' from somewhere," Nicholas said. "We were caught completely by surprise. Before I knew it, five of us were dead."

Rick sighed and clenched his hands into fists. This was exactly what he didn't need. "I tell ya," Nicholas said, his eyes wide. "I was scared out of my wits. There was a girl throwing knives, one girl doing some kung fu shit and then some black bitch with a sword."

Rick's head snapped up and Carl was quickly at his shoulder. "What?" Carl asked.

"A black bitch with a sword," Nicholas said, repeating the last of what he said. "She killed Mark and she's the one that gave me this." He indicated his gash. "I thought I was gonna die."

Rick and Daryl exchanged looks before he turned to Carl. He could practically see the thought that was running through Carl's mind because it was running through his as well. But he had assumed...they had all assumed she was dead. After searching for almost a year and not finding her, it was almost impossible that she was still alive. "Holy shit," Daryl whispered.

"Dad..." Carl started, his voice hopeful.

"How far away is their camp?" Rick asked.

"About two days," Nicholas responded. "We captured one of their people. The kung fu girl." He sucked in a breath through his teeth as a new wave of pain came over him from his wound. "We managed to escape and bring her back with us."

"We have one of their people?" Rick asked. Nicholas nodded in affirmation.

'We have one of their people,' Rick thought. 'If it's Michonne, she will come.'

- There ya go. Please review and put me through the wringer some more if you must. :D I love you guys! And I hope you're enjoying the story -


	14. Chapter 14

- It took me a little longer to write this chapter because this is like the fork in the road. Of course it's Michonne's reunion with Rick and the way things play out here determines how things will end. I had to write...sleep on it...Write some more...and then sleep on it some more. Rinse and repeat. This chapter has been constantly in my mind. That being said, I'm going to respond to all of the reviews (Phew. This is gonna take a while. Haha. Thank you guys for the response.)...

Flyin'ByTheSeat – I'm glad Michonne scares you. Lol. I wanted to show how hardened she's become but hardened in a way slightly different from how she was before after the loss of her first son. This time she has an agenda. What the agenda is, the readers don't know yet. But we'll get there. And whether things will be okay or not...well, you'll just have to wait and see. XD

Nay766 – Haha. Jessie and Michonne definitely will have an encounter. Probably in the next chapter. Continue to read to find out how it goes.

Mtnwknd – Thank you! I'm glad you haven't forsaken me because of your previous heartbreak and continued to read!

Felicidali – Thank you! Keep reading and reviewing please! XD

Victoria – Thank you, thank you! I was worried the long time skip would make people lose interest but I'm glad you're still here with me! I'm trying to continue to update on a semi-regular basis.

Here4Funsies – No...It wasn't a dream :( You guys have no idea how much I considered going back and changing what I did though. I was having a hard time as well. I was listening to my ipod and the song "Wheels of a Dream" came on... (It's a song from the Broadway musical Ragtime where a father and a mother talk about how they're going to show their son the world and allow him to do great things as he grows up)...I'm glad I was alone because I thought of Michonne from my fanfiction story and started crying because that's how she must have felt holding her baby but she never got the chance to watch him experience life. I'm ashamed to admit that - Lol. Sometimes I think I get too involved with these fictitious things. But yes! Grimes family reunion. Read to see how it goes down...

vmck – Thank you. Here's your update!

Nadineoo – Haha. Your review made me laugh. And yes...Michonne is about to make her entrance!

Feelin' Groovy – Lol. Get off the pins and needles! Lol! Sit down on a couch and enjoy this next update. XD Oh yeah...And I'm glad you mentioned Morgan. He's with Michonne guys! And he likes her! Awww...How will this play out? Hint...He's probably how Rick will find out about you-know-what (the unmentionable experience that Michonne went through).

FocusedonProsperity – A lot of people are wondering how cold Michonne will be with Rick and the group. If she won't even be bothered with them...Hmmm...Read on to see.

Anivas14 – Thank you for looking at the bigger picture with Michonne's experience. And yes...Rick is definitely going to be in a difficult position because of Michonne's actions.

CodeName – M.e – Michonne and Rick reunion ahead! Let's go!

Siancore – You think so? Maybe you think right. Maybe not. Hmm...I don't want to spoil the chapter. Go read.

Jollybelucky – It's all very complicated indeed. And I considered having Rick NOT hook up with Jessie at all because I hated the thought of it too. But...he doesn't know what she did regarding Michonne and she's only helped the group from his perspective. AND she's pretty. AND she's been making a play for him for the longest time. So she was easy...and in a moment of great weakness...thinking his love was dead...I could only realistically see him giving in to her. I hated it as well though. Believe me.

The Puppeteer – Hello! Glad to see you here! I am so glad you're curious about how Michonne will react to Carl. A lot of people are stuck on her reunion with Rick but how she reacts to Carl will be very telling, won't it? About how far gone she really is. And what you said about Carl seeming to be on the road with Michonne and not fully there, safe in Alexandria with his father and the rest of his group. Yes yes yes! Ever since reaching the Safe Zone, he hasn't allowed himself to really be a part of it. And I'm glad you got that from the few scenes I gave to him. He very much left a part of himself back there with her. Ahh! Carl and Michonne! I love them so much! Okay...anyway...Enough rambling.

Let's get to it! -

Chapter 14: Raoult's Law

Rick studied the girl that had been placed before him. She couldn't be more than nineteen. Her hands were tied tightly behind her back in the chair they had placed her in and she was flanked on each side by men much larger than she. Daryl was at his side with his bow slung over his shoulder just in case. Back in the old world, Rick would have found it ridiculous to have this much muscle on standby against a girl this small but he knew, in this world, you could never be too careful.

Nicholas had described her as the one who did kung fu. Her dark hair hung in a braid down her back and her eyes were downcast, staring at something on Rick's desk. She seemed to be of some kind of Indian descent judging from her tan skin and Eastern features. Rick noticed that what she wore – an orange crop top over a white tank, fitted cargo pants and black flats – reminded him of teenagers from the old time. Rick knew immediately that she had her wits about her just from what she wore. Rick regarded her closely and didn't let his guard down. Sometimes the people who could look at the world they were in now and stay sane were more dangerous than the ones who looked at the world and lost it.

"What's your name?" Rick asked.

The girl didn't move and didn't respond. Rick knew he should have expected as much.

"Look," Rick continued. "I know you don't trust us. And there's no reason why you should. I know what it's like out there. I know you gotta keep your guard up." Rick rolled his shoulders, remembering his own times outside the walls of the Alexandria Safe Zone. While Alexandria wasn't completely safe – no place was completely safe – it was much better than being out there. Rick's heart clenched briefly when he thought of Michonne. If what he suspected was true, that she was the leader of these girls, then that would mean she had been out there without them for almost two years. His hand shook before he focused on the girl again. "But we're not bad people. And this place. It's not a bad place. I'm sure you saw a little of it as they were bringing you in here."

Shaya blinked. She had seen it.

"I need to know why your people attacked us," Rick said. "Killing five of our men and injuring one." Shaya was silent. "We went to your camp because we were looking for one of our own. A man named Spencer. Have you heard of him?" Rick watched her closely; she still showed no sign of responding. He glanced at Daryl who glanced back.

Trying to keep his impatience intact, Rick laced his fingers. He knew if he were in the young girl's position, he wouldn't speak easily either. He had to put her at ease. "We're not going to hurt you," he said. "In fact, we were never going to hurt you. Not if you're no threat to us. You're not a threat to us, are you?" He stared intently at her, trying to read any sign she might give. "No..." he said. "I don't believe you're a threat to us. Your group is small, isn't it? You were just protecting yourselves? I believe you were scared when our group showed up at your door and you struck preemptively. Hell, I believe you're scared _now."_

He finally got a response. Shaya's dark eyes came up to meet his. They didn't show fear. They only showed anger and determination.

"Or maybe not," Rick said. He heard a respectful chuckle come from Daryl and he shot him a look. Daryl could only shrug; he admired spunk when he saw it.

Getting her point across, Shaya returned her gaze to Rick's desk.

"I just want to get a feel of what kind of person you are," Rick continued. "So I can see if we can fit you in here at Alexandria Safe Zone." He splayed his hands open. "Wouldn't you like to live here?"

Shaya blinked. Didn't respond. At this point, Rick figured he just wasn't going to get a response out of her today.

"Maybe I should talk to your leader," Rick said. "See if she'd be open to bringing the entire group to stay with us. Do you think that would be possible?" Rick waited for a response. Didn't get one. As expected. He leaned forward, the question he wanted answered the most pulling at his tongue. "Is your leader's name Michonne?"

Shaya's eyes came up again. Rick waited with bated breath. There was a question in the girl's eyes and he felt that it might be because she was wondering how he knew their leader. Could that be proof of her identity?

But a different question came from Shaya's mouth. "Can I have some water?" she asked.

Rick looked down at the bottle of water on his desk. He wondered if that's what she had been looking at the whole time. He gripped the bottle. "How about this?" he proposed. "You answer my questions...and I give you a drink of water."

Shaya became tight-lipped again and he knew she was refusing his offer. Scratching his brow, he decided to give up for the moment. His frustrations were building and maybe a little more time alone would give the girl time to think.

"Take her to the holding cell," Rick told the two men. They moved to grab her arms. "Wait," Rick said. He gestured to one of the men with the full water bottle when he froze to look at Rick. "Give her some water."

The man on her right stepped forward and took the bottle from Rick. He stood before Shaya and began to unscrew the cap. She allowed the man to tip her head back with his finger and pour the cool liquid onto her tongue. As soon as she had a mouthful, she spit it back out into the man's face and kicked him in the groin. Surprised, he closed his eyes and stumbled backwards. In that split second, Shaya grabbed the chair she had been sitting in and brought it across the man's back. He was down. While Rick had been interrogating her she had been working the ropes loose with her nimble fingers so her hands were free.

As people were reacting with shock and surprise, Shaya grabbed the gun at the man's belt and pointed it at the man on her left before he could restrain her again. Her heart pounding in her ears, her eyes flicked quickly around the room. Rick and Daryl were aiming their weapons at her and the man who had been about to lunge at her had frozen with his hands in the air at the end of her gun. She backed herself against the wall of the room so that no one could come up behind her.

"Put the gun down," Rick growled between his teeth. His voice wasn't calm like it had been before. "You're outnumbered here. Don't be stupid."

"I wanna leave," Shaya said, breathing heavily. "And you're gonna let me."

"Why is that?" Daryl asked. He had been admiring the fight she had in her before this little stunt. Now it was just annoying. And dangerous.

"Because then I won't kill anyone in this room." Shaya's eyes darted from man to man.

"If you kill anyone, you'll be dead yourself right after you pull that trigger," Rick said.

"Yeah," Shaya said. "But then you'll have two bodies on your hands when you can have none by just letting me walk out of here."

A tense silence fell over the room and Daryl glanced in Rick's direction, waiting to see what his move should be. A slightly imperceptive nod from Rick made Shaya's eyes slide over to the door that was both the entrance and exit to the room. But it was too late. The door swung open and she turned to greet the newcomer with a bullet but he was too fast. He moved in and hit her wrist, causing it to go upwards as she pulled the trigger. Shaya quickly abandoned the gun, dropping it to the floor, and focused on the threat right in front of her.

She engaged in hand to hand combat with the newcomer. He had a goatee, wore his hair in a bun at the back of his head, and was apparently very skilled in martial arts. Shaya soon found that he was too fast and strong for her. Her eyes widened when she felt his hand clench around her throat. A pained grunt escaped her lips when she was pushed hard against the wall and lifted into the air. Her feet dangled uselessly and her hands gripped his wrist, futilely trying to push his hand away from her throat.

"We heard about what you could do," Rick said, walking leisurely from behind his desk and retrieving the weapon Shaya had dropped. "So we had our friend Jesus here waiting outside just in case."

Shaya's mouth opened in a useless attempt for air and her eyes began to water. She scratched at Jesus's arm, breaking skin.

"Let her go," Rick said. Jesus dropped her to the ground where she lay in a heap gasping and coughing. She welcomed the air into her lungs and was quickly hefted to her feet by the man called Jesus. He held her arms behind her back tightly.

"Try anything and I'll put you to sleep," he said into her ear.

Rick had her hauled out of the room and to the holding cell. When the guard named Christian woke up, Rick handed him his weapon and sent him on his way as well. Only Daryl was left.

"Shit, Rick," Daryl said, propping himself on the desk and holding his crossbow across his lap. Rick was looking out of the small window in the door. "Who are we dealing with here?"

His hands on his hips, Rick squinted, deep in thought. He had been wondering the exact same thing. "We just have to talk to Michonne," Rick said. "She doesn't know it's us yet. She doesn't know we're here. We just have to meet Michonne and then everything will work out." Rick was convincing himself as much as Daryl.

A furtive glance towards Rick's back and then a glance down at the floor indicated that Daryl wasn't quite sure that's how things would work out. But he didn't know how to voice it to Rick. The man had been waiting...hoping...for this for so long. "She's been out there a long time..." Daryl said by way of voicing his concerns. "_If _it's Michonne..." Daryl said. "We still don't know for sure that it's her yet."

"It's Michonne," Rick said. "It has to be."

Daryl nodded. He had one more concern to talk about with Rick. "People are already starting to mourn the men that we lost today," Daryl said. "You were talking about bringing Michonne back here to stay. What if the people don't want that? They ain't gon' like her stayin' here."

Rick chewed on his tongue. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," he said. "First, we gotta get her here."

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Carl was pacing when Rick came back home that night. Rick was surprised to see that he was actually there. Usually Carl was out from the morning until curfew. Sometimes after curfew. He had no idea what Carl was up to these days. But he was met with eager questions upon his return that night. "What did she say?" Carl asked, knowing he had gone to interrogate the girl who was in Michonne's party.

Rick sighed and took a seat, feeling heavy in his heart and mind. "I couldn't get anything out of her," he said, wishing he had more to tell his son. "She doesn't trust us. We're gonna wait a while and then try again."

"We should go get Michonne tonight," Carl said. "Why do we have to wait?"

Rick leaned back against the sofa, his eyes tired. He forced himself to focus on his son no matter how tired he was. "Leaving anywhere at night isn't safe," Rick said. "And you know that."

"Okay. Tomorrow then," Carl said.

"No," Rick answered with a shake of his head. "We'll wait for her to come to us. She doesn't know that it's us. We would risk an attack like last time if we appraoched her camp."

"She wouldn't hurt us, Dad," Carl said.

"She's been out there for a long time," Rick said, echoing Daryl's sentiments.

"Because of us," Carl said. "Dad, we have to go get her."

The longing in his son's face touched him. Rick felt like he hadn't been able to do anything for him since almost two years ago, when they separated from Michonne. "We have to wait, Carl," he said. "But once she's here...we'll make sure she stays. Okay?"

Carl still wasn't satisfied but he decided to trust his father on this. If he were to be honest with himself, he was both excited and nervous to see Michonne again. He feared that she would blame them for leaving her behind. He sure as hell blamed himself. He felt like he could have fought harder to wait for her. If he would have put his foot down and told his father he wasn't going to leave until Michonne returned, what could his father truly have done?

"Car!" Judith called from her crib in the corner of the room. "Car!"

Carl walked over and lifted her from her prison. Whenever she woke up these days, she would always put up a fuss until she was out of her crib. Then she would spend the rest of the day stumbling around the house on her short legs.

Carl lifted her to his chest and brushed her hair away from her face. It now fell to her chin in small, blond tufts that was slowly darkening to light brown. "Dad?"

"Da?" Judith imitated Carl.

"We can't mess up this time." In her toddler language, Judith strung together a sentence that sounded the same but wasn't. She put her hand on Carl's lips, trying to grab whatever sound was coming out of his mouth.

Rick nodded. He knew what his son was saying. But he had the same fears that the fifteen-year-old did. He felt like he would be blamed for whatever happened in the past. And he was afraid that she had been separated from them for too long.

A knock sounded on the door. Rick stood up from his seat and peered through the peephole. It was Jessie. "Take your sister upstairs," he said to Carl. He waited until Carl was halfway up before he opened the door. Carl scowled when he saw who it was and he continued his trek up the stairs to his room.

Jessie had rushed over the minute she had heard who the girl in their jail cell might be associated with. 'How could she possibly still be alive?' Jessie wondered, walking into Rick's living room. She placed her hand on her forehead, knowing she needed to be calm in order to talk to Rick about this. "What's this about?" Rick asked. "Has anything happened?"

Jessie turned and watched Rick's facial expression. "I heard about Michonne possibly being alive," she said. "Is this true?"

Rick nodded. Everytime he heard it or thought it, he felt as if he was dreaming. He knew that he wouldn't truly believe it until he saw her. "We think it might be her. Yeah," he said.

A forced smile escaped Jessie's lips. It seemed as if her worst fears were coming true. She had gained respect here in Alexandria. People listened to her. And she knew part of that came from being close to Rick Grimes. She couldn't lose that. Not after she had worked so hard.

And Rick...he was unlike any man she had ever been with. Her husband had been a mean brute at times and Alexander had been completely manipulative. Rick, even though he remained distant from her emotionally, was still kind and respectful towards her. She couldn't lose _him_. "So what are you gonna do?" she asked. "Welcome her to the community? Even after her people attacked ours?"

"She didn't know it was us," Rick said for the third time that day. "She was just defending herself. And her people."

"So you _are _going to bring her here," Jessie said.

"I'm not going to bring her," Rick said. "She's going to come on her own."

"But is she going to stay?" Rick was quiet. He had been wondering that himself. It seemed that she had built a community of her own so she probably wasn't looking for them anymore. Jessie watched the complication play across Rick's face and she knew he wanted her to. Keeping her anger under control, Jessie moved forward and laced her arms around Rick's waist. "Well, whatever happens..." she said. "It's good that she's still alive, isn't it? Amazing really."

"Yeah," he said. "Amazing." Rick gently unlaced Jessie's arms from around his waist. "It's late. You should be getting back."

Jessie tried to keep the hurt from her eyes. "Do you really not care about me, Rick?" she asked, her voice breaking slightly.

A sympathetic frown graced Rick's face. He really felt sorry towards Jessie. He knew he should have never slept with her or encouraged her in any way since he knew from the start that his heart wasn't in it. It wasn't fair to her. "I care about you, Jessie," he said. "Just not in the way you would like..." He stepped away from her. "You should forget about me and find someone you can really move forward with."

Jessie left Rick's place that night with anger in her heart. She had pursued Rick too long for it to end like this.

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Over the next couple of days, Rick constantly saw Carl around the Alexandria Safe Zone. Usually the teenager would make himself scarce. His constant presence around the community was an indication that the teenager was waiting for her. Rick found himself lingering around the front gates as well, looking towards the horizon. But if he were to be honest with himself, he knew that she probably wouldn't make her approach so obvious. Especially if she was being cautious, like he figured she might be.

"Rick," Sasha approached Rick, causing him to turn his eyes away from the gate.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Jessie told me that I could take a break from watchtower duties. She put James on duty in my place; is this okay with you?" Rick nodded. He didn't see anything wrong with it. James was almost as good of a shot as Sasha and she sometimes worked too hard.

"Yeah," Rick said. "That's fine. You can use a break. I know it can get pretty boring up there."

A small smile graced Sasha's lips. Rick was glad to see it. She never smiled much anymore after Tyreese's death. "Boring is good," Sasha said. "It means we don't have any trouble." Her brow furrowed as a thought came to her. "Speaking of trouble...do you think Negan will be reappearing anytime soon?" Sasha's heart filled with rage at merely the name but she forced it down. Negan was going to have his downfall. And she was going to be there to gladly watch it happen.

"I think he's biding his time," Rick said. "But he's definitely coming..." Rick's eyes narrowed. "And we'll be ready."

Sasha didn't know exactly what Rick meant by that but she was sure that he would let everyone in on it soon. She trusted Rick. He had brought them a long way. "Are you going to go visit Glenn and Maggie anytime soon?" Sasha asked. "They've been asking about you. Said they think you're avoiding them because Maggie's belly scares you."

Rick chuckled. "That's ridiculous," he said. Maggie was seven months pregnant now. It had come as a shock to everyone. Especially Maggie and Glenn. But they were happy about it. Thought they could actually raise a child in this place. "I'll visit them," Rick said with a nod. "I've just been really busy lately...You've heard about what's happenin' right?"

A serious look came over Sasha's face and she nodded. "Michonne," she said simply. A horse and carriage covered with cloth came through the gates. Rick was distracted from his conversation with Michonne for a moment. He thought he might need to get someone else on supply run duty. The rider of the horse looked kind of sick. It was the new haul of supplies.

"Where should I unload it?" the rider yelled out to someone as he rode inside the gates.

"Take it around back," the loading manager on duty responded.

"What's the plan?" Sasha asked, back on the Michonne topic after the small distraction.

Rick tilted his head to the side and gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "I was hoping you could tell me." Sasha could only stare at Rick with sympathy. She could only imagine how confusing and overwhelming this must be for him. "After all is said and done, she's one of us, isn't she?"

"I hope so..." Sasha said.

"Dad."

"Da!"

His childrens' voices called Rick's attention to them. Carl had Judith in his arms and was walking towards him and Sasha. "Judith said she wants to be with you today." Rick looked at Judith with her fist in her mouth and her blue eyes looking up at him.

"Did she say that or are you just tired of looking after her?" Rick asked, lifting Judith from Carl's arms.

Carl shrugged, not admitting the latter.

"Rick!" Christian came running up the road to Alexandria, his arms waving wildly. The gates opened for him as he approached and he stopped inside right before the group of Rick, Carl, Judith, and Sasha before he spoke. "That woman you've been expecting is here!"

Rick felt his heart jump and he sprang into action. He shoved Judith back into Carl's arms and began to take off in the direction of the stables to grab a horse. "Where is she?" he asked, on the move with Sasha and Carl close behind him. Christian rushed to keep up.

"I went out to check on the guards watching the road. Both of them were injured. Knife wounds," Carl rushed to keep up, hanging onto every word. "One of 'em was conscious enough to say they were attacked by a sword and knife wielder. Said he saw 'em threaten the driver and stow away on the supply carriage." Rick and Sasha shared wide-eyed looks. "They're here in the community. Right now."

Rick began to rush in the direction of the cell. If they were here for the girl, they would find their way to the holding cell. "Carl!" he called over his shoulder. "Take Judith to the house and stay there!"

"No, dad! I want to come!"

"I know, Carl! But you have to watch your sister!" Rick turned and gave further instructions to Christian. "Alert everyone about what's happening. Tell everyone _not _to hurt them if they find them. Just bring them to me!" Christian nodded and ran off.

Carl watched his father run off. "Dad!" Rick heard his son call after him. "Don't mess up!"

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"Shit!" Michonne exclaimed. It was an actual jail. She had never expected an actual jail cell. There was no way she could get in to get Shaya unless she had the keys. She ducked back below the side window that offered a view into the jailhouse. She could see Shaya sitting on the bed behind iron bars, no worse for wear.

"This place is the shit!" Maya said in a low whisper from where she was crouched beside Michonne, breathing heavily. "Organized. How the fuck are we gonna get outta here?"

"We'll worry about that after we get your sister," Michonne said. She hadn't had a chance to recon the place since it was heavily guarded. She had only been able to view a little bit of how entering and exiting this community worked. That's how she had made her way inside. Now she was winging it.

"Check if the front is clear," Michonne instructed Maya. Maya turned to do just that but she turned to find herself looking down the end of a gun. Two youngish men rounded the corner of the jail with guns drawn and Michonne and Maya in their sights.

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Rick rounded the side of the jailhouse to find the new recruits Brad and Jeff on their backs. Brad had a knife in the leg and a young girl who looked exactly like the girl housed in their jail right now had Brad's own gun to his head. And Jeff's gun had been kicked to the side. He was looking fearfully up at the sword blade that was about to come down into his gut.

"Stop!"

Michonne froze when she heard a voice that she would recognize anywhere. She turned slowly and found herself at the end of Rick's gun.

'It's her!' Rick was hit with a wave of emotion. The hand that held his Colt .45 shook. He hated that they had to reunite like this. He had planned for things to go so differently. "Put the sword down, Michonne..." Rick said. His voice was thick with feeling.

Michonne stared. Sasha and other people of the community filed out with their weapons drawn as well.

"Please..." Rick said.

Michonne saw Maya place her hand on one of the knives at her hip and look at her. She knew Maya was willing to place her life on whatever decision she made here. Michonne slowly let her sword fall to the ground. Maya lowered the gun she had as well.

Rick said something and began to approach her but it was garbled. He was close to her...his blue eyes were looking into hers...And then there was darkness.

Okay! So this was their reunion after 1 year and 8 months! The next chapter should be very interesting because all of you will be able to see if your predictions were right with how she will deal with the Grimes family and the rest of the group. She fainted at the end there...Just wanted to make that clear. Rick didn't harm her or anything. Lol. -


	15. Chapter 15

- Update! And Puppeteer, I was imagining Carl as thirteen at the beginning of this story so he's fifteen now. -

Chapter 15: Under Lock and Key

Michonne felt constricted the moment she woke up. She tried to move her hands but quickly realized they were bound tightly behind her back. And it didn't feel like rope that was holding her. It was something metal. Michonne didn't struggle too hard against them. There was no give. She tested her feet and found that they were bound as well. Unlike her wrists, they were tied with rope to the legs of the chair she was sitting in. And another rope looped around her waist, pinning her to the chair.

It didn't take her long to remember why she was in this position. Rick. She had found them. Even though she had stopped looking long ago. She had found Alexandria Safe Zone.

In an entirely bare room with only the chair in the middle of the room that she currently sat in, she blinked her eyes open and closed slowly, inwardly beating herself up for allowing herself to faint in such a volatile situation. All this time it had felt like she was trudging along through molasses and after seeing Rick, it had felt like she was being drowned by it.

The door to the room opened and Michonne watched his feet walk toward her. "You're awake," Rick's voice rasped.

A close inspection of Michonne left Rick feeling unsure of himself. She was offputting somehow. A put-together persona and calm aura had always been Michonne's traits but that's not what this was. Her eyes came up to regard him and he knew what it was. She was completely disconnected from him.

Rick shifted on his feet. After hearing she was alive, he hadn't expected to meet her and immediately regain what they had before but he hoped to reestablish some semblance of their friendship. Now, looking at her, he didn't know if that was possible. "I hope you understand the..." He gestured toward Michonne's bindings. "Precaution."

Michonne didn't speak. He didn't expect it.

First and foremost, Rick needed to tell her what was weighing on his mind. "We looked for you, Michonne," Rick said. "For months. We thought you were dead. Hell, with a herd that size-" his mouth worked wordlessly. "We never wanted to leave you. I want you to know that. It was what was best for the group."

"I have your man. Spencer..." Michonne said. They were the first words she was speaking to him. She didn't respond to Rick's last words. "He's not harmed too badly. If you release Shaya and Maya, we'll gladly give him back to you."

Rick nodded, realizing that she was only going to talk business right now. But at least she was talking. "Shaya and Maya must be the twins' names. They've injured a lot of our people. So have you."

"Your men showed up threatening to attack us," Michonne said. "But I wouldn't have attacked them if I had known they were with you..."

Hope sprang in Rick's chest for the first time since reuniting with Michonne. Her statement revealed that she didn't want to be enemies with him, right? He stood with his hands on his hips, not allowing his hope to show. She was still a mystery to him. Her expression was unreadable. "That's good to hear," Rick said. "Because we shouldn't be fighting. I'm sure we both have enough on our plates already without having to worry about that..." The tips of Rick's fingers rubbing together betrayed his nervousness as he spoke his next words. "I don't know how big your group is Michonne...But it doesn't seem to be a big one. As long as you're not a threat to us...I was thinking you could bring everyone here to stay. This is a good place. A safe one."

Michonne sat silently as Rick fretted. "I find it hard to take your offer seriously tied up like I am," Michonne finally said. There was no anger in her tone.

"I'll release you soon enough..." Rick said. He tilted his head and squinted at the woman who used to be one of his most trusted comrades. "I can't read you, Michonne," he admitted. "I never could but...this is different. _You're _different. And I don't think I can let you go in good conscience without finding out exactly what it is about you that's changed."

The door opened again and Michonne's eyes landed on a slightly taller Carl minus the sheriff's hat. Rick's eyes travelled to Michonne to gauge her reaction; she quickly dropped her gaze.

"Dad!" Carl said, his eyes wide. A flash of anger crossed them. "Why do you have her tied up?!"

"Go outside, Carl. We'll talk about it there." Rick pushed a protesting Carl outside and shut the door behind them. Michonne could no longer hear anything.

Carl had rushed over to where he heard his dad was holding Michonne as soon as he could find a babysitter for Judith. He had left her with a small, rotund woman named Julia. She was nice and loved to spoil Judith. He had been harboring excitement on his way over. Now, he was pushing down harsh waves of anger. "Why do you have her tied up Dad?!" Carl demanded. "I told you not to mess up!"

Rick tried to calm his son. "I'm being cautious, Carl. I know you want things to be like they were with Michonne before we were separated, but the truth of the matter is it's just not gonna _be _like that. She's changed. We've changed! We're just not the same people that we were! We have to be careful here! She's been out there for a _long _time."

'She's not dangerous!" Carl retorted, gesturing passionately. "Not to us! She's Michonne! We're her family!"

Rick was slightly taken aback at Carl's words. He wanted him to be right but he thought back to the way Michonne had regarded him in the room. Distantly. Even when Carl appeared, she didn't seem moved. "Not anymore," Rick said. "Right now, we're just fellow survivors. And we can't afford to let our guards down. Especially since we want to. Now go back home. I still have some things to talk to her about." His voice held finality. Carl still didn't listen. He stood defiantly.

"I'll wait here," he said. "When you're done, I'm going in to see her."

Rick released a frustrated sigh but he knew it would be useless to argue with Carl on this point. He wasn't going to back down. Rick shook his head and went inside once again to face a very stoic Michonne. He stood before her with his hands on his hips and waited until she looked up at him. "...Carl's missed you a lot," he said. If she felt anything, she didn't show it. He nodded, getting back to business. He suddenly wanted to get out of the room quickly. "I know you probably need time to think about my offer, but-"

"No," Michonne said. "I don't. I'll bring everyone from my camp. They can stay here."

Rick was taken aback. That was easier than expected. A little too easy. "Just like that..." he said suspiciously.

Michonne gave a nod. "Just like that."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Why?" he asked.

"I have two pregnant women at my camp," Michonne said. "This would be a good place for them." She studied him with slightly furrowed brows. He gave off the same vibe from almost two years ago. "Besides..." she continued. "I know you, Rick. You're a good leader. If you say you'll take them in, I know you mean it. You'll protect them the best you can."

The curious expression on Rick's face didn't change. She seemed to be complimenting him but she was still removed. He didn't know if she was being sincere or not; that had never been a problem he'd had with her before. "Why did you capture Spencer?" Rick asked.

Michonne shrugged. "Just recruiting."

"Recruiting?" Rick asked.

"He was on his own," Michonne explained simply. "I was giving him a place to stay."

Rick's eyes looked her over, looking for any sign of dishonesty. Of course she gave nothing away. A knock sounded on the door, causing Rick to jerk his eyes in that direction. It was probably Carl getting impatient. He looked back at Michonne, wanting to ask her if her arms were uncomfortable, wanting to know what she had gone through after all this time, wanting to touch her...but he stayed with the practical. "I can't take you to the jail just yet. I don't think it's wise to keep you close to the girls. So...I hope you can deal with the discomfort for now. I'll – I'll check on you in a couple of hours." He left through the door.

A few moments passed and then the door opened. Michonne knew it was Carl even though she kept her eyes on the floor. The door clicked shut behind him and Michonne didn't hear anything else for a few moments. Finally, his boots began to click across the floor and she saw them enter her vision. He walked over to her, knelt down, and began to untie the rope binding her legs and waist. She didn't say anything. When he moved around to her back to unbind her wrists, he found that they were shackled with metal and needed a key to be opened. "Shit," he grunted, after a couple of efforts to remove it anyway. He got to his feet and stood in front of her. "I'll come back with a key later tonight to get them off of you."

Michonne was silent for a moment. "...You'll get in trouble for untying me," she finally said, her voice low.

"I don't care," Carl said. "Dad's being an idiot. He says he's being cautious. But I don't think there's anything to be cautious about. You won't hurt us." Michonne looked at him and Carl was finally able to meet her eye. But this time, he looked away. He looked down at the floor where he scuffed the toe of his boot against the concrete. "Even if you did, we'd deserve it. We left you behind." He flipped his hair to the side and raised his head again, trying to appear strong. "Do you hate us?" She didn't answer immediately so he grew afraid of what she would say and spoke before she could. "I believe that dad thinks you do. That's why he has you tied up. He doesn't want you to leave again."

Michonne doubted that greatly. With a kid as wary and smart as Carl, she wondered how his thoughts could still remain so innocent at times. Even with his wanting to free her, she didn't agree with it. She was on his father's side. As twisted as that was. Like so many of Rick's decisions before, she understood why he did what he did. She actually respected that being behind walls hadn't proved to delude him in any way about the dangers that still lay outside.

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After talking with some of the group about some of what he and Michonne discussed while she was being held, Rick entered his house. A lot of the group were of the mind that they should take Michonne at her word for now. No one wanted to believe that she would have the mind to attack them now that she knew who they were. Rick had to consider the possibility though. And he hated himself for it.

There had been so many times when he had dreamed of meeting up with her again. And none of the dreams had included holding her captive or bartering over the exchange of prisoners. He hated this world for causing him to be like this.

Rick slid down to sit on the floor right in front of the door and he looked at his watch. Carl would have been in there for almost an hour now. He was sure that his son would untie her. He had left Jesus and one other guard outside the door and instructed them to intervene if they heard anything strange or to stop them if they tried to go anywhere. Again, Rick told himself he was being careful. Rick figured how she handled herself after visiting with Carl would tell him a lot about what kind of state she was in.

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Jessie glared at James. The man she had put on watch duty for the sole purpose of putting a bullet through Michonne's head on sight. There was no way that she had wanted Michonne to pass through those gates. But she had gotten word that that exact thing had happened. That Michonne was sitting in their questioning cell right now talking deals with Rick.

"I gave you one job!" Jessie whispered harshly, away from prying eyes. "Why couldn't you do it?"

"I didn't see her!" James protested in a wronged tone. "There was no way I could have from my place in the tower! She stowed away in the carriage before she even passed my way!"

"Whatever!" Jessie said. "I don't wanna hear excuses. I just want it done. I need it done! But I can't do it because it's too much of a risk." She couldn't risk Rick finding out. She eyed James. He was a young man. Twenty-two. And he was easy to sway and good with a gun. "It has to be you. The hit is still out on her."

"But-!" James protested.

Jessie held up her hand, not wanting to hear it. "Whenever you get the chance...I don't care if it's today, tomorrow, or a week from now. Take the shot."

James sighed. He honestly didn't want to do anything without Rick's say-so. He didn't want to risk getting kicked out of the community. But he had affection for Jessie. He liked to think of her as his real first love. So he would do anything for her. He nodded. "Okay," he said. "I'll do it."

"Good," Jessie said with a smile. A warm pat on the cheek was James' reward. "I'll be looking forward to it."

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Carl sat against the wall in the closed room. He just kept talking despite how non-responsive Michonne was. He played leisurely with a knife that he had pulled from his belt, poking at the toe of his boot. "Maggie's pregnant now," he was saying. "Her belly is out to here-" he made a quick gesture with his arms. "I think she's gonna have twins. If not, that's one big baby."

There was a silence. "I'm kind of scared for her. She might die like my mom did, you know? I mean...there's a doctor here and everything but it's still risky. And she's not the only one that's pregnant. More women are starting to let it happen 'cause they feel safe." Carl shook his head and scoffed. "Idiots. I think having babies right now is just stupid. I mean, they're too much of a risk and-"

Carl stopped talking because Michonne was suddenly standing over him. It was then that he thought his father might be right. Because, for a moment, he was afraid. Michonne saw the fear flash across his eyes. She took a step back. "I'm just stretching my legs," she said. She rolled her shoulders and put her mind on something else besides the discomfort in her upper arm muscles due to her arms still being shackled behind her back.

Carl stood up and pocketed his knife again. "How did you manage to escape the herd?" he asked, trying once again to engage her in conversation.

"I outsmarted them," Michonne responded. "Wasn't too difficult since my brain actually _works_."

Carl's mouth lifted in a small smirk. She wasn't exactly being playful with him like she used to be before but his fear from before was gone. She was still Michonne. "That's funny," Carl said.

"It's true," Michonne responded.

Carl searched for something else to say. There was so much he had to tell her but for some reason, he was finding it hard to say anything now that she was actually there. "Judith can walk now," he said. "And she can talk. Sort of. I'll bring her with me later tonight so you can see her."

A knock sounded on the door, causing Michonne and Carl to look towards it. "You should probably tie me back up," Michonne said to Carl. He nodded reluctantly and simply stood for a moment. Michonne thought he might be about to say something but he surprised her by wrapping his arms around her middle and hugging her tight. "Thank you for being alive, Michonne," he said, his voice thick. "I had really started to think that you were dead."

'So did I,' Michonne thought, realizing that she wanted to return Carl's embrace with one of her own.

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Rick was sitting on the couch, deep in thought about the integration of Michonne's people into the community, when Carl walked through the door. Rick stood up. He didn't realize how anxious he had been until that moment. "How'd it go?" he asked.

Carl shrugged. "You were right," he said vaguely. "She's different. But I was right too. She's still Michonne." Rick tried to wrap his head around what he meant. "I think you should let her go. She's not gonna do anything to us."

Rick sat down on the couch. "If everything goes without a hitch tomorrow...I'll let her go."

"What's tomorrow?" Carl asked.

Rick's steely blue eyes gazed ahead determinedly. "We're bringing her people to stay with us."

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Jessie entered the questioning cell and found a bound Michonne who didn't blink an eyelash when she came in. Jessie closed the door behind her and entered with her own chair. She placed it directly in front of Michonne and she flipped her hair behind her shoulders before she sat and entered into a speech. "Hi, Michonne," she said. "Jessie. I'm sure you remember me." She held out her hand for a handshake and Michonne knew she was being facetious. "Oh, that's right," Jessie said. "My mistake. You can't really shake my hand right now, can you?"

She exhaled through her nose. "I just wanted to, first of all, come in here and make sure there are no hard feelings between us." Michonne stared at her. "Oh, come on," Jessie said. "I know you know what I'm talking about. I saw you. And you know that I saw you. I could have easily had them stop the bus so that you could catch up." She inhaled deeply. "But I didn't want to." Michonne's expression didn't change.

"And it wasn't anything against you!" Jessie continued. "I want you to understand that! I just – I needed you gone. And hey! Everything worked out just fine didn't it? You're alive! Yay!" Jessie clapped her hands together excitedly. "Kudos to you, by the way. No one thought you could make it out of there. Everyone thought you were dead. Even Rick. But I helped him move on. I helped him get over you."

Jessie stared Michonne in the eye. "I can see why you would fight through a herd of walkers to get back to him. He's a great lover." Michonne never took her eyes off of Jessie's face and breathed steadily. Jessie smiled. "Anyway," she said. "I just wanted to come in and let you know that everyone missed you. We moved on but we're glad you're back. And I hope that you can be as much a part of our group as you were before." She patted Michonne on the knee and then stood up. "Oh yeah," Jessie said, turning back before she reached the door. "I know we're not that close, but I'll tell you the good news anyway. I'm planning on starting a family with Rick soon." She placed her hand over her stomach and caressed it gently. "Who knows? Maybe sometime in the future Carl and Judith will have a little baby brother or sister. Maybe you can be godmom. I think Rick would like that."

Jessie left the room, closing the door behind her. She felt victorious.

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Carl woke up in the middle of the night and got Judith dressed. She was cranky at first but he gave her a small stress ball to quiet her down. She squished it in her fist and the nature of it caused her to get quiet with curiosity for the next ten minutes. During that time, Carl went inside Rick's room to search for Rick's key ring. It held keys to the jail cell, the warehouse, and some of the other important buildings around the Alexandria Safe Zone. Carl thought it might hold the key to Michonne's shackles as well.

What he didn't know was that Rick wasn't asleep at all. He hadn't been able to fall asleep with thoughts of Michonne going around in his head. He watched Carl's figure find his key ring and make his way out of the room with it. Rick got up and followed him. He was still dressed in the clothes of the day. When Carl began to lift Judith up from the crib, Rick decided to make his presence known.

"The key you need isn't on there," Rick said. Carl turned to see his father pull a key from his pocket. "It's right here."

Carl sighed, knowing he was busted.

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Rick opened the door to Michonne's cell. She wasn't asleep. She probably hadn't slept at all. He couldn't blame her. The position she was in wasn't the most comfortable position to sleep in. He closed the door behind him and stood just inside of it. Rick opened his hand to her. A key was in his palm. But that wasn't the most surprising thing he had brought into the room. Michonne's eyes went from the key he held in one hand to Judith, whom he held in his other arm. Rick held her so that she was facing outward and staring at Michonne with blue eyes that rivaled Rick's own.

"I caught Carl trying to sneak out with these two things," Rick said. "You wanted them?"

Michonne tore her eyes away from the curious Judith to look at Rick. "I didn't ask for them. He offered."

Judith began to kick her feet and Rick grunted as he bent down to put her on the floor.

She immediately began to toddle forward on her little legs. She didn't get far before she fell, catching herself with her hands. Her fall didn't deter her though. She got right back up and started forward again with a giggle. This time she did much better. She ran until she came close to the stranger in the room and then she stopped to stare up at Michonne. Michonne stared back at her. Her finger went into her mouth as she became shy. And looking up and standing at the same time became too much of a challenge so she plopped back onto her behind. "Ooh!" she demanded.

Rick smiled at his daughter's cute antics. Michonne glanced up in time to catch the tail end of it. "You didn't visit me again today," Michonne said. "Until now, of course."

Rick shrugged. He had felt a reluctance to face her again. "I got busy," he said. "I told the guards to make sure you had everything...You ate right?"

Michonne nodded. "Yeah. I ate."

"Ate!" Judith yelled out.

Michonne glanced down at the toddler that was now proud of herself then back up at Rick. "We need to finish talking about what we were discussing earlier."

Rick nodded. That. He sat down against the same wall Carl had been sitting against. "Has everybody come by to see you?" he asked.

Michonne stared. Rick was different than he had been that afternoon. He seemed less focused. "Yeah," she answered. Maggie and Glenn had come to tell her how much they missed her, how much they had looked for her, and that her current situation was only temporary. Daryl had come by saying the same thing except in a less eloquent way. Then Carol had come. Sasha. Abraham. Tara. Rosita. She wished they would have all come at once. It would have made her feel less like a caged animal in a zoo. And they all practically said the same thing. It had all began to mesh together into a big, apologetic sound wave. "Even Gabriel came to pray for me."

For some reason, that struck Rick as funny and he let a chuckle escape from his lips. He was surprised at himself but he didn't apologize for it. "He's become our go-to priest around here," he said, picking at random dust mites on the ground. Michonne noted how similar he and Carl really were. "Even presiding over weddings. Funerals too..." Michonne took that to mean that not everything was hunky-dory at Alexandria Safe Zone. "And he even baptized Judith."

Hearing her name, Judith swung around to face Rick. "Eh?" she questioned. When she didn't get a response to her question, she turned back to stare at Michonne once again.

"She must find something familiar about you," Rick said. "Usually she cries when she gets close to a stranger."

Michonne stared down at the little girl. A wide smile slowly grew across the toddler's face; her blue eyes sparkled. Michonne didn't know why Rick had brought Judith in here but she felt like she was being brought under a sneak attack. She gave the small girl a very distinctive frown but when the toddler's smile quickly slid off her face and she stared at Michonne with wide eyes, wondering why her good intentions weren't being returned, Michonne quickly wiped her frown away. Happy again, Judith got to her feet. "Up! Up!" She squealed with a giggle as she stretched her arms up and bent her knees up and down in a bouncing motion.

Rick watched the exchange with a sort of sad smile. He remembered the course he and Michonne had been on before the separation. If they had never gotten separated, they would all probably be living happily right now. He, Carl, Michonne, and Judith.

Feeling like Michonne had been subjected to Judith enough for the night, Rick stood up and scooped his little girl into his arms. She reached for Michonne, thinking she was about to be placed in the strange woman's lap but she was whisked away to where Rick was before. He sat down with her. Figuring he may not have gotten the message she was trying to send, Judith decided to try to make it clear. "Da," she said, tapping his chest with her small hand. When she got his attention, she pointed in Michonne's direction as if to say 'I meant to say I want to be in _her _lap.' Rick only gave her an indulgent smile before looking back at Michonne.

"We'll be heading out to your camp early tomorrow morning," Rick said, telling her the plan. "You're going to lead us there." After giving her more details, Rick stood up again holding the key for her shackles between his index finger and thumb. "Don't try anything stupid," he warned before kneeling down with Judith held in one arm to untie one leg then the other. Then the rope at her waist. Finally, he knelt behind her and Michonne felt her wrists fall free of the constricting metal. She flexed them.

"Where's my sword?" she asked, standing up.

"You'll get it later," Rick said. His voice was low. Tense. "It's four in the morning right now," Rick said. "I figure we can go back to my house...get you cleaned up. Get you something else to eat. Then we can be on our way."

If Rick was tense, Michonne was even more so. Every muscle in her body was coiled in a knot. This place and these people that she used to call her family made her feel unsettled. Disquieted. She didn't know if this could ever be her home again.

She followed Rick to his house. Carl hadn't gone back to bed; he had been sitting up on the couch. When he saw Rick walk inside with Michonne following behind him, his eyes lit up with happiness and hope, making Michonne think about the surprising naïve innocence of the boy again.

"What's going on, dad?" he asked.

"She's going to take a shower then we're gonna go get her people..."

"Can I come?"

A deep sigh of resignation. "Yeah. You can come. But go get ready. We're gonna be heading out soon."

Carl ran off to his room like a kid about to go on vacation and Michonne followed Rick upstairs to the bathroom. He gave her clothes and a bath towel and then sent her in.

When Michonne was safely inside, standing under the hot spray of the water, she began to tremble. Her tightened muscles became even tighter and she had to lean a hand against the wall so that she wouldn't fall. Everything from the day began to crash in on her, forcing themselves to be acknowledged even though she fought against it. All of the visits. Her old friends. Carl. Judith. Rick. Jessie.

She hugged herself and drew her nails down the skin of her arm. Slow. Hard. She broke skin a little. Images she tried to keep down came back to the forefront. Andre. Her newborn. Would he have reached his arms out like Judith to get an embrace from her? Everything she had gone through to get just where she was right now. Only now it wasn't right. No tears came but she scratched her nails against her skin again.

Ever since she had forced herself to keep going after the death of her second son, sometimes she had episodes like this. And it felt like her body couldn't handle it. But pain caused her to come back. Telling her she could. And she would. There was something that mattered. The future mattered. Judith. Those pregnant women Carl ridiculed. They were the important ones.

Still trembling, Michonne felt herself coming out of the overwhelming anxiety. Refocusing.

She had never taken her eyes off of her dead son for an entire week. Not sleeping. Constantly watching him. He had never turned. The longest record she knew for reanimation was two days. Why hadn't her son turned? She could only think of one thing. The children born of this generation were immune. There was a way for everything to return to normal. For the human race to survive. Children. They were what mattered.

Michonne breathed deeply and let the warm water flow over her skin, her pain back where it belonged. Deep under lock and key.

- There it is. Michonne's reason to keep going. And Puppeteer, I hope that also clears up a bit why she fainted. After the death of her second son, all of her bottled up emotions are causing her to feel overwhelmed at times and causing her to have self-harming tendencies. What do you guys think? Think Rick can really trust that she'll let her people integrate with his? I purposefully left out a lot of Michonne's thoughts and reactions until the end there so you readers could be curious about her motivations too. And how about Rick using his kids as a way to feel out Michonne and maybe soften her up? Lol. How can anyone resist Judith? Rick was being underhanded with that one. Anyway...Hope you guys liked it. Leave me a review and let me know.

By the way, I don't really know the longest it's taken for reanimation on the show but for the sake of my story it's two days so...Yeah. Lol. -


	16. Chapter 16

- I have grad school assignments but I'd much rather write fanfiction. Hehe. -

Chapter 16: Crossroads

Michonne dressed herself in the shirt Rick had given her. It was one of his. It smelled like camp fires and fresh wood. The same strange combination of scent Michonne remembered basking in long ago. Except now it was even stranger because, in this walled city, he was no longer exposed to either of those things as much. Curious, Michonne opened the small mirrored cabinet above the sink and glanced through his soaps and hygiene products to try to pinpoint what he could be using to maintain the smell.

A quick rap on the door caused Michonne to refocus her wild musings. She closed the cabinet and opened the bathroom door.

"Breakfast is ready," Rick reported, after giving her a quick once-over with his eyes. Both of them ignored the appreciative look and made their way downstairs where Carl was putting more scrambled eggs onto Michonne's plate.

Bacon, eggs, toast...That feeling of discomfort settled in Michonne's stomach again. The kitchen was picturesque. Kids were smiling. Rick was saying something about Carl having to start back up at school soon. It was all so normal. Too normal. It wasn't real.

Michonne put the bacon into her mouth and chewed but it could have been wood for all she cared. The taste didn't do anything for her.

Judith was sitting on the kitchen counter in the middle of the room and when she saw Michonne, her eyes lit up and she reached toward her. Michonne took a seat on a stool near her plate and continued to eat.

"Why did you get Judith up?" Rick asked Carl. "She's barely had any sleep!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Carl argued. "She was already up when I finished getting dressed! She was gonna start crying if I didn't get her out of the crib."

Not allowing herself to be ignored, Judith crawled along the counter top over to Michonne. When she reached her, she sat and smiled, proud of herself. Michonne continued to eat, not acknowledging Judith's efforts.

Rick didn't bother arguing with Carl; he knew how Judith could get whenever she wanted to get out of her crib but was ignored. He just decided to focus on the plan for the day. "We're going to take only a couple of men out with us," Rick said. "I was thinking Daryl, Jesus, and two others. How many people should we be expecting to pick up?"

"Only six," Michonne said. "Including your man Spencer." She held her hand out of Judith's reach when the little girl reached for the piece of bacon she was holding. Judith let out a frustrated sound.

"Only six?!" Rick asked. Her group was indeed small. "Including you and those two girls, it makes nine of you." It was wonderous that her small numbers had been able to throw his people into such chaos. Citizens were still demanding punishment. He was holding off on telling them that he was planning on bringing their attackers to stay with them. He needed to deal with that carefully.

'Glad you can do math.' Michonne bit back her retort. She didn't know what was going on with her. This place was making her feel and think impulsively. Frustrated that she was still being ignored, Judith grabbed a handful of Michonne's scrambled eggs in her small fist and threw them to the floor.

"Judith!" Rick reprimanded. "Stop that right now!"

Michonne moved her plate to the sink and Carl scrambled over to clean up the mess Judith had made. Seeing that her disruption still hadn't gotten Michonne's attention, Judith's face scrunched up and she began to wail.

Rick went over to pick up his little girl and held her against his chest. "Shh, shh, shh," he shushed, patting her back. Her crying only grew louder. Michonne gripped the sink.

"She's not gonna stop until you pick her up," Carl said to Michonne. "That's how she gets when she's left in her crib too long. She'll cry for hours if you let her."

Michonne felt a knot grow between the muscles of her shoulder blades. This was too much...She turned to see Rick, Carl, and Judith looking at her expectantly. Judith was still crying. With a resigned sigh, Michonne reached out and took Judith from Rick. She didn't miss the look that Rick and Carl shared as she settled a now quieted Judith against her side. Her crying had stopped on a dime. Michonne couldn't understand how Rick didn't trust her enough to travel without an entourage of guards but he trusted her with his children like nothing had changed. Maybe being inside walls _had _made him soft.

Judith giggled as she gripped a couple of Michonne's braids in her small hands. "I didn't sign up for this," Michonne said with a frown on her face. Carl laughed. Rick smiled. It felt like old times for a moment.

There was a knock on the door. Rick went to answer it and hesitated before allowing the visitor to enter. "Jessie..." he said. "What are you doing here?"

Jessie faltered when she came face-to-face with the scene in Rick's house. Only a few hours ago, Michonne had been locked in the questioning cell. Now she was in Rick's house? Wearing his clothes? Playing with his children? "What's – what's going on?" Jessie asked, trying to maintain her cool.

"We're about to go to Michonne's camp," Rick explained. "Try to integrate her people with ours."

Jessie's stomach dropped. "We – we can trust them?" she asked, turning to Rick. "I mean...I know you were close with her but...I don't want Alexandria to be threatened."

"I don't either," Rick said. "But I'm going to trust her for now. She was just defending herself and her group." Jessie tried to keep the white-hot rage she felt from boiling to the surface. "Michonne! Carl!" Rick called. "We ready to go?"

Carl went over to Rick and Michonne followed him with Judith on her hip. She played with Judith's fingers while looking into the smiling little girl's eyes. She didn't acknowledge Jessie.

"Jessie," Rick started. "Can you take Judith to Carol? She's down at the infirmary. See if she can babysit while we're gone..."

"Sure," Jessie said, her lips tight. "I'll take her. How long do you think this will take?" Jessie asked, reaching for Judith. "This trip?"

"Shouldn't take more than a couple of days-"

Rick's voice was interrupted by Michonne's as she stepped back to keep Judith from Jessie's reach. "We can take her to Carol, can't we?" Michonne asked Rick. She looked over Jessie's head. "The infirmary's near the jail, isn't it? I wanted to talk to Maya and Shaya before we left."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea..." Rick said.

"Dad!" Carl pushed.

Judith added her two-sense as well. "Da!"

"Fine," Rick said. "But I'm going to be in there with you the whole time."

"Fine." Michonne unwrapped Judith's hand from around one of her dreads but the girl latched right back on.

"Fi," Judith repeated, still busy with Michonne's hair.

"So you...don't want me to take Judith then..." Jessie clarified.

"No, we've got it," Rick said.

Jessie glared at Michonne. She just knew that the woman had purposefully kept Judith from her. And Rick had just let it happen. He was already being pushed back under the woman's thumb like a fool. 'We'll see about this.'

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Michonne passed Judith to Carl when they reached the infirmary and the jailhouse. Carl took Judith inside to Carol while Michonne and Rick went in to visit the girls. The twins stood when they saw Michonne, eager to hear what they should be doing next. When they saw Rick as well, they frowned curiously.

Michonne told them the plan.

"So we're going to live here?" Maya asked when Michonne was done. "Alright!" She whooped and spun before falling back onto her bed. "This place is the shit!"

But Shaya wasn't so happy. She still had marks from Jesus's hand around her throat. "We don't even know these people," Shaya said. "And most of them want to kill us for what we've done. How can we live here?"

"Right..." Maya said, sitting up in bed. "We won't be staying here in jail, right?! I'm not staying here if that's the case!"

"I'm going to have to talk to everyone," Rick said. "But the idea is that everyone is gonna have a clean slate. I don't plan to keep you girls locked up for long as long as it becomes clear that you're not a threat and that you were just acting out of defense."

Still not looking convinced, Shaya looked at Michonne. "How can we trust these people?" she asked.

"Because _I _trust them," Michonne said. Rick gave Michonne a surprised glance and tried to keep a smile from pulling at his lips.

Maya nodded but Shaya looked like she still had her doubts. "Some man came in here threatening to kill us," Shaya said. "I don't feel safe here."

Michonne looked at Rick. He wracked his brain, trying to figure out who in his community might do that. "I'll start having Rosita and Glenn guard the jail," he promised Michonne.

"How long are you going to be gone?" Maya asked.

"Two days at the most," Michonne responded.

Shaya looked between Michonne and Rick. "You're really going to bring our people back here, aren't you?" she asked, studying Michonne closely. "You're not being threatened to say something that's false?" Rick grinded his teeth, put his hands on his hips and looked off to the side. The girl was coming up with all kinds of scenarios.

"No," Michonne answered. "I'll really be back with everyone. In two days."

"Even Morgan?" Maya asked.

Rick turned his head abruptly to look at Michonne. She nodded. "Even Morgan."

When they were outside again, Michonne turned to Rick and spoke. "I forgot to tell you that Morgan's with us."

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Rick, Carl, Daryl, Jesus, and two men Michonne didn't know the name of were finally all ready to set out on their journey. The two men were steering a carriage big enough to hold at least eight people. Carl and Jesus were currently sitting there. They would be going at a slow pace on their way back due to the weight of human bodies but that wasn't too big of a deal. Daryl and Rick were each riding on horses of their own.

Michonne looked up at Rick with a question on her face. "Where's my horse?" she asked.

Rick reached out his hand, extending his palm down to her. Michonne looked between him and his hand, thinking he must be kidding her.

"It's either this or getting you back in those shackles..." Rick said with a shrug. "I can't risk you runnin' off."

Michonne gave him a wilting look but took his hand, allowing him to help lift her up onto the horse. She settled in front of him, not enjoying the way his chest pressed against her back. Rick was feeling just the opposite. It felt both strange and good to be this close to Michonne again. He had surely dreamt about it enough. His arms encased her so that he could grab ahold of the reins.

She trusted them. Still. Even after everything. He was still riding on that cloud as he enjoyed their physical contact. He tried to remind himself that he shouldn't take everything she said at face value since they were getting to know each other again but Rick felt deep down that there was an undeniable hope now for them to rebuild what they once had.

"Damn," Daryl said, eyeing them from the sides of his eyes. "Y'all already back at this stage?"

Rick glared at his close friend. He didn't need his comments. He was afraid they would make Michonne do exactly what he didn't want her to do. Run away.

But luckily, Michonne didn't react to Daryl's jibe. She focused ahead. "A few miles up there's a path leading off this road that we should be able to follow," Michonne said. "That'll take us a good portion of the way."

They were well on their way, the carriage in the front while Rick and Daryl took up the back, when Rick started up a conversation with Michonne.

"So, how long has it been since you and Morgan found each other?" he asked.

"_He _found _me_," Michonne said. "It's been about a year."

"That's a long time..." Rick said. He couldn't help but to wonder if she and Morgan had entered into some kind of relationship. They had a lot in common. And they were both admirable people. Then he told himself that it wasn't really his business to wonder about that particular thing. They weren't really anything to each other anymore. That didn't stop his stomach from sinking a little when he thought about it though.

"That Shaya girl is a piece of work," Rick said, changing the subject. "She's a suspicious little thing, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Michonne said. "That's kind of her thing. She doesn't trust anyone or anything. Only her sister."

"I guess I can't really blame her in this world. How did you find them?"

Michonne thought about not answering. She didn't particularly feel like entering into conversation. But to take her mind off of the long journey and the tension building in her body, she began to speak. "They were in a camp with a group of men. They had met the men a week or so before I came across them. I heard them talking. They were making the girls trade sexual favors for protection. Apparently, their father allowed it because he was weak."

"Those girls are pretty tough though," Rick said. "I'm surprised that they allowed it to happen themselves without fighting back."

"They were more afraid for their father than themselves," Michonne said. "Besides...it was too many of them. Too risky to take them on outnumbered."

"But you took them on..." Rick said. "I'm assuming that's how you rescued the girls."

"I waited until they were asleep," Michonne said. "Then I killed them." Rick was silent. "It wasn't really my business," Michonne said. "But scum like that shouldn't be alive anyway."

Rick nodded. "And the girls?" he asked. "They just followed you?"

"Maya did. Shaya followed her sister."

"Will they be able to play nice with the other citizens of Alexandria?" Rick asked.

"Will _you _be able to convince your citizens to play nice with _them_?" she challenged him.

Rick's lips lifted into a half smile. He had missed her. "Don't you worry. I've got it all under control."

"Hey, Chonne," Daryl called from his horse. Michonne looked over at him. "I heard you stole my idea." At Michonne's questioning look, he continued. "Grimesville."

Realization and a memory sparked Michonne's eyes. She almost smiled. "Not necessarily," she said.

"What you mean 'not necessarily,'?" Daryl ribbed. "You steal a man's idea you gotta give him his due."

"Grimesville included real walls and all of you. This was strictly Michonne-ville." The teasing atmosphere was gone. Turned serious. Rick felt guilt squeeze his stomach and Daryl was quiet for a moment.

"Damn..." Daryl finally said. "Why you gotta kill the mood like that?"

Michonne was quiet. She was thinking about how easily she could have fallen into the rhythm and ways of so long ago. It was unsettling. All of it.

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When night fell, they stopped to camp. Jesus and Daryl started guard duty while the two men and Carl set up tents. Michonne slid off the horse and immediately began towards the woods. Rick grabbed her wrist and Michonne instinctively jerked away. Whirling around, she saw a glimpse of a startled and stung Rick. "Where are you going?" he asked, fixing his expression into one of focused curiosity.

"Bathroom," Michonne said, unconsciously rubbing a hand over the wrist that was still warm from Rick's touch.

"Oh," Rick said. He glanced around, realizing he had brought no other females on this trip.

Michonne read his intentions. "Oh, come on..." she groaned.

"It's just number one, right?" Rick said, glancing around at their surroundings instead of at her face.

Michonne sighed, realizing she was going to have a guest on her trek to the ladies' room (also known as the biggest bush she could find in the nearby forest), and there was no way she was going to talk him out of it. "Yes, Rick," Michonne said, turning and walking towards the woods with Rick on her heels. "It's just number one."

They walked into the woods in silence. Rick spoke first. Softly.

"So you still trust us..." he began, wanting to expound on that topic.

Michonne stopped after they walked a few feet and pointed to a large bush a few feet away. She apparently wanted Rick to stay at the distance she had stopped them at. He nodded, his expression unreadable. She sighed. "I'm not going to run away with my pants around my ankles," she sad. "Don't worry. And yes. I still trust you."

The long, pointed look she gave him before turning away let him know that he wasn't extending her the same courtesy.

Rick released a breath and turned away as she went behind the bush to do her business. It only took a couple of minutes and then she was back beside him.

"I guess I just feel like you should hate us..." Rick said suddenly as they walked back to camp. "Even though we did what we thought was right...we still left you behind. If I were in your shoes, I just don't think I could be as calm as you."

"Who said I was calm?" Michonne asked as they stepped out of the woods. Rick stopped and watched her go to an erected tent. A slow sigh passed from his lips and into the stale wind.

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As they approached her camp the next day in the same formation they had started out in, Michonne felt uncomfortably exposed. Compared to Alexandria, this place was harsh. Ugly. Monstrous. The stench from the wall of walkers had greeted them a few miles out now they were facing the sight of them. Bored. Restless. Dead. Unmotivated since they had nothing to give them incentive. Michonne glanced at Carl and he glanced back with an understanding look. She glanced away.

"Why aren't there more walkers gathered around?" Rick asked from behind her, curious. "You know...walkers that actually want to eat you and can do something about it? Usually they just pile up if you have a bunch of 'em in one spot. You would think your wall of walkers would attract them..."

"They did at first..." Michonne said. "But then I guess they just grew bored and wandered off. Figured there was nothing really here 'cause they never saw us."

Rick nodded. That was something he would have to keep in mind.

The makeshift gates opened before they reached them and Morgan came out, a relieved and happy smile on his face when he saw Michonne. And then his smile grew wider when he saw Rick. Rick returned the smile, happy to see his comrade from so long ago and slid off the horse when they drew close enough.

"Morgan," Rick said happily as they clasped arms.

"Rick." They stared, wanting and needing to say so much that nothing came to them. They finally just nodded with a mutual understanding and Morgan walked over to greet Michonne as she slid off the horse. Rick tried not to watch them too closely.

"Girl, I didn't know where you were," Morgan said. "I was gonna come after you if you didn't come back by tomorrow."

Michonne nodded. "Well," she said with a shrug. "I'm here."

"You found them," Morgan said with a smile.

Michonne's expression became troubled. "Yeah," she said.

"...You okay?" Morgan asked, noticing her odd expression.

She nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I'm okay."

"Where are the girls?"

"They're at Alexandria," Rick said, hearing his question. "We're going to move everyone who's here to the Safe Zone."

Morgan turned to look at Michonne for confirmation. She nodded. "What about you?" Morgan asked. "You staying at the Safe Zone?"

Rick thought this was a ridiculous question. "Of course she is-"

"I don't know." Rick and Michonne had spoken at the same time.

At Michonne's admission, Rick turned to stare at her with flashing, disbelieving eyes. "What?" he asked. Carl stepped forward with an incredulous look as well.

Michonne turned to Rick with a sigh and an unwavering gaze. "I never said I would stay at Alexandria."

"I don't understand," Rick said, stepping forward. It was in these moments, when he was most focused that his usually flitting eyes never shied away once. He stared into her eyes fiercely. "You said you still trusted us." Morgan stepped away, letting them talk. The others stood back as well.

"I do," Michonne said.

"Then is this because of how I treated you? 'Cause I was just being careful! I-"

"No. I don't care about that!" Michonne's voice was a low growl. Almost a whisper. "I just don't _belong _there anymore!"

"You do!" Carl interjected from the side. "You belong with us!"

Michonne gave him a sympathetic stare but it was clear her mind wasn't changing. Rick gripped her upper arm, bringing her attention back to him. Reacting to his unexpected touch, Michonne reacted instinctively once again. Violently. She pulled away from him and swung her hand out to slap his cheek. Skin met skin with a resounding _tak_! Everyone looked on in shock; Morgan had never seen Michonne react emotionally until that moment. Michonne had shocked herself. She took a step back. "Don't- don't touch me," she said weakly.

Rick allowed himself to recover from the shock with a cool anger. Hurt and a feeling of rejection was burrowed underneath. "You told those girls you would be back," he said, speaking of Maya and Shaya. "You just gonna abandon them?"

"I'll go back to say goodbye," Michonne said. "And make sure all of my people get settled. But I'm not staying." Her words, her tone, and her gaze let Rick know that her decision was final.

A frustrated breath escaped Rick's nostrils. "Collect everyone from inside," he instructed Morgan and Daryl, still staring at a defiant Michonne. "Let's get 'em and head back." He heard Morgan and Daryl move to get everyone from inside the camp. Anger and frustration was causing Rick's head to pound. "Get on the horse," he growled to Michonne with a throaty inflection. Michonne fought with the urge to keep standing out of stubbornness and turned to mount the horse again. Ever since she had found out she was at Alexandria, she had planned to leave again. Nothing was going to stop her.

Rick climbed onto the horse behind her, caging her in with his arms by grabbing the reins. 'You've made a mistake,' he thought to himself. 'If you think I'm ever going to let you leave again.'

Carl climbed into the empty carriage, pulled his knees up to his chest, and laid his chin on his arms. 'She can't leave,' he thought. 'She just can't.'

- For those who might mention her violent reactions to the small touches in comparison to her calmer reaction to the horse rides...It's the unexpected touches that are the problem. :) Kk. Would love to have reviews. -


	17. Chapter 17

- If it's not one thing, then it's another. I've been trying to work on this chapter for DAYS guys, but I have been suffering from an ugly toothache. It's hard to keep my thoughts straight when I'm fighting pain every two seconds. But I fought through (still waiting on my dentist appointment) and this is what I came up with. Excuse any abruptness or weirdness. I feel like I put my best product out there under the circumstances but there are still some instances that may come off as "Fuck it! I'm trying to get this chapter done!" Lol. I hope not. Enjoy. -

Chapter 17: Settling In

Jessie whispered in ears. She spoke to the right people. Everyone who already had misgivings about Michonne's people, she spoke to them. She told them her fears. How Michonne seemed to be using her past relationship with the Grimes family to reassert her authority and weasel her way into the community. She planted doubts. How could they trust these people? After what they had done? By the time Rick got back with Michonne's people in tow, they were met with an angry crowd at the gate.

"Is it true that you're bringing the people who killed our husbands and sons to live with us?" a woman shouted out as the gates closed behind a startled Rick and his group. He brought his horse to a stop with a quiet "Whoa". The woman's voice was just one of many that were shouting questions at him. Morgan, Daryl and Jesus dismounted their separate modes of transportation and automatically took up defensive positions on either side of Rick and Michonne.

"What is this about?" Rick called out. He got the gist of it, but he wouldn't be able to say anything in the midst of all the chaos his people were creating by shouting over each other.

Finally, Brian stepped forward. He was a smart and fair man that Rick thought highly of. "Everyone, calm down," Brian said to the crowd. He gestured with his arms so that people in the back could see him. It took a couple of minutes, but Brian was finally able to turn to Rick and speak their fears aloud. Calmly.

"We've heard rumors that you're bringing the people led by this woman..." he pointed to Michonne. "To live with us." His eyes scanned Rick's party and the new people that were with him. Spencer sat in the back of the carriage with his leg still tied. "And it looks like it's true," he finished.

"Yes, it's true," Rick said, projecting to make sure everyone heard him. "This woman...and her people...are coming to stay with us peacefully. And I would like it if you all treat them as one of us."

Murmurs of disbelief ran through the crowd. "How can we live together?" Brian asked. "They killed upwards of five of our men. And injured more."

"They were only acting in defense," Rick explained. "They thought they were being threatened!"

"So we're just supposed to live with them?" the same woman from before shouted out. She stepped forward, holding a child. She had been the wife of one of the men. "And they would get no punishment? They broke the law!"

"A law they can't be held to because they weren't a part of this community before!" Rick shouted. "They are now!"

"Thou shalt not kill!" the woman screamed. "It's a law written by God! How can she not be held to it?"

Rick ground his teeth together. His eyes scanned the crowd. They were all clothed, fed, lucky. "Most of you have lived in Alexandria for a long time," he said. "You don't have to worry about food, water, or other people sneaking up on you and taking what you have if you let your guard down for even a moment. It's different behind these walls than it is on the outside. There is no _law _out there! There is no _God_! There's only life or death! I'm not going to condemn this woman - or any of them - for choosing life!" The woman's eyes filled with tears and Rick allowed himself to sympathize with her. "Now, I know it isn't gonna be easy," he said. "None of this ever is. Believe me. I cared about Sean just as much as everyone else here. And those men _will _have a decent burial."

His eyes scanned the crowd again. "Believe me," he said. "I've worked hard to keep Alexandria safe. I would never bring an enemy inside these walls. But these people aren't our enemies. Trust me as your leader. And trust that I'll always have your best interests in mind."

The murmurs began to turn to ones of agreement. No one could deny that Rick Grimes had been only a positive influence on their community thus far.

"We have to trust him," people were saying.

"He hasn't led us wrong yet..."

"I'm sure he'll deal with them fairly..."

Jessie ground her teeth from where she stood in the back.

"Get back on your horses," Rick instructed to Daryl, Jesus, and Morgan. "I'll call a town meeting later this evening so we can discuss this further," Rick called out. "Until then...Allow us to pass so that we can settle in."

Slowly but surely, everyone shifted to the sides to allow Rick and his entourage to pass. "You're going to be staying with me for the time being," Rick whispered into Michonne's ear as they passed through the people. "For your own protection."

'So you can keep a closer eye on me, more like,' Michonne thought to herself.

"What about the girls?" she asked.

"I'll set them up with Carol," Rick said. "She has room at her place."

"And when will I get my sword back?" Michonne asked.

Rick's lips tightened. "We'll see."

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Michonne got settled into her new room at the Grimes residence. It was physically comfortable and normal and everything a place should be. Carl had run upstairs the minute he had come in and Rick had gone to collect Judith and set up the new people with living quarters after seeing that she wasn't going to immediately run away. So now Michonne was left to her own devices.

She lounged on the bed in the room. Having found a small piece of rope in the room, she had fashioned it to the headboard, tied a poacher's knot at the end, and put her wrist through the hole created by the knot. She was now almost absentmindedly jerking her arm so that the rope would pull tighter and tighter against her skin.

She busied her mind with thinking of anything but the past. She figured she would wait until everyone was settled, then she would see how her people were faring. 'My people...' she thought to herself. 'When did this happen?'

Those memories she didn't want came crowding back in.

After the death of her child, she had soldiered on. Of course she should. This world wasn't about to break her. She twisted her arm against the rope, creating a burning sensation.

She had found people. Young people who could procreate. And she had given them a safe enough place to live. And once these young people were safe enough. They did what young people naturally do. They coupled up. And they began to have babies. They began to create a new generation.

Michonne pulled harder against the rope to keep out thoughts of her own child.

"What are you doing?"

Michonne looked towards the door and saw Carl standing there with her sword. She pulled her arm free of the rope and sat up. She covered the small laceration that had appeared on her wrist by grasping it with her other hand. "Nothing," she said calmly.

Carl hesitated in the doorway for another moment. He could tell that it was more than 'nothing'. He carefully entered into the room with her sword. "Dad was keeping this in his room. On the wall." He held it out to her.

Michonne regarded Carl for a moment and then reached out to take the sword from him, placing it in her lap. "Thank you," she said. She didn't bother hiding the mark she had made on her wrist; she knew that Carl could see it now.

"Doesn't that hurt?" he asked.

"A little," Michonne responded.

Carl sat down on the bed with her. He didn't respond.

"When did you stop wearing the sheriff's hat?" Michonne asked after a while.

Carl shrugged. "Not too long ago. I outgrew it."

"Mm," Michonne responded. "That's a shame. It hid your rat's nest. Now all I can think about when I look at you is that you need a haircut."

Carl touched his hair. He thought about how his mother always used to be the one to cut his hair. He had tried trimming it himself before, but it never worked out quite the way he wanted it to. "I like it," he said, in defense of his hair.

"But do the _girls _like it?" Michonne asked. He looked over and saw that she was teasing him by the way her eyebrows rose and the way that she tilted her head toward him.

He almost smiled. But he didn't. He didn't want to. Not if she was just going to be leaving in a few days. "Actually they do," Carl replied. "There's this girl, Anna, who follows me around all the time."

"Well, is she cute?" Michonne asked.

Carl derailed the conversation. "Do you still like my dad?" he asked.

He expected it to throw Michonne off and make her reveal an answer through her facial expression but it didn't work. She only quirked an eyebrow and replied. "You can't answer a question with a question. A completely unrelated question at that..."

"It's not unrelated," Carl said. "You're asking about _my _love life; I'm asking about yours."

Michonne smirked at his smart-ass comment. "You've gotten to the point that you call yourself having a love life now?"

"Stop deflecting," he said seriously.

Michonne sighed and grew serious as well. She looked back towards the front. They were both sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the wall opposite them. "It's been a long time Carl," Michonne said. "A lot has happened. Things that I may not be able to come back from."

"We can always come back," Carl said innocently.

Michonne was quiet for a moment. "Back at my camp..." Michonne said. "There's a lake behind the cabins." Carl listened quietly. "It's always calm. The water is still. It's not anything too beautiful or astounding but it's got a presence. It's own thing...Then someone comes along and throws a stone into the water. What happens do you think?"

"The water ripples," Carl answered easily.

"Yeah. It ripples," Michonne said. "The water becomes unsettled. Different. It changes the moment the stone hits the water. When I separated from all of you, that became my stone. I've been changed because of it."

"But ripples don't last forever," Carl said. "The lake always returns to how it was before the stone hit."

"Yeah, but the stone is still there. Just beneath the surface."

Carl frowned. The explanation didn't sit well with him. "Why is our separation the stone?"

"What?" Michonne asked.

"You changed when you met us for the first time. Maybe _we're _the stone and the time we spent apart is the ripple."

Michonne sat in thought for a moment.

"Where'd you get that stupid analogy anyway?" Carl asked.

"..._Xena: Warrior Princess_," she answered.

Carl turned to look at her. A moment passed. Then he couldn't keep a smile from spreading across his face. His smile turned into a laugh. "Are you serious?" he asked.

"I'm serious," Michonne answered, fighting her own smile. "What?" she asked, when Carl finally doubled over.

Carl answered between laughs. "You're such a dork."

Michonne watched him laugh, amused. "You have something against Xena?" she asked in a mock serious tone.

"No," Carl said, straightening up and trying to pull himself back together.

"Good."

Michonne's gaze fell to her wrist and her amusement died. Carl slowly became somber again as well. He looked at her wrist. "Why you hurt yourself..." he started. "Is it the same reason you don't want to stay?" Michonne didn't answer; Carl nodded with an expression of understanding. "The ripples are still going," he concluded. Michonne rubbed her wrist.

They sat in silence for a few more moments before Carl looked over to her. "Will you give me a haircut?" he asked.

Michonne slowly set her sword aside. "Where are the scissors?"

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"Morgan!" Rick called. He trotted up to his old friend when he left the town meeting and saw the other man walking along the streets, looking around. "You getting along okay?" he asked when he got closer and grasped the man's arm in a strong, welcoming grip. "No one's bothering you, are they?"

Morgan shook his head, a smile on his face. "Nah. Man..." He continued to look around. "I can't believe this place," he said. "If you weren't the leader here, I'd- I'd think it was too good to be true."

Rick nodded. He understood that feeling well. Because that's how he'd felt when he first came across the Alexandria Safe Zone. "This is definitely a good place," he said. "We have a future here. We're rebuilding."

"Man..." Morgan said, still letting things sink in. "I almost don't know what I'll do with myself. Not fighting for my life every day."

"It definitely takes some getting used to," Rick said, remembering how suspicious and on guard he had been when he'd first arrived. He'd made a lot of mistakes. The two men walked along the street in casual silence; people would shout greetings to Rick here and there. "So how have you been?" Rick asked. "Since I saw you last? I can see that you've managed to keep going despite everything that happened. How did you manage that?"

Morgan shook his head and shrugged. "It's just somethin' I had to do. I was either gonna live or die and...I decided to live. Simple as that. After Duane, I definitely _thought _about dyin' but the thought never stuck. I guess living just becomes a habit after a while."

"Well, it's amazin' you made it so far on your own. You're one tough son of a bitch," Rick's lips lifted into a small smile as he spoke. "Don't know anyone tougher."

"Oh, now, we both know that's not true," Morgan said. The two men shared a glance and Rick gave a knowing nod.

"I still don't know how she managed it," Rick said. "Still feel like I'm dreaming whenever I think about the fact that she's really here."

Morgan stared at Rick for a moment. Rick's words led Morgan to think that maybe Michonne meant more to Rick than he had originally thought. That would definitely explain Rick's reaction to Michonne's admittance to not planning on staying. An image of the night Morgan found Michonne came back into his mind. That heartbreaking, image. She had been half-dead, holding a newborn that had passed on. He had never been able to get her to talk about it or give him details about her separation from Rick's group. But some things were starting to come together as he looked at Rick's expression when he talked about Michonne.

His heart ached for the man beside him if what he was thinking was true. Was that Rick's child? Michonne's and Rick's? And if so...did Rick even know about it? Whatever the situation was, it wasn't his place to comment on it. "How is she doing?" Morgan asked. "Michonne?"

"I don't know," Rick answered. "I feel like there's this...wall between us. It wasn't like that before."

"Well, it's gonna take some time," Morgan said. "She's been through a lot."

"Like what?" Rick asked, his voice curious. "What's happened during all this time? I feel like it's more than a couple walkers and some unfriendly strangers."

Morgan shook his head. "You have to ask her, Rick. You're not the only one who's been trying to figure her out. I've been trying to get to know her for a year now. All I know is what I've seen for the past year."

"At this point, that's more than I know," Rick said with a shrug. Having reached the end of the particular street they were walking down, Rick stopped and turned to look at Morgan. Still asking with his eyes what Morgan had refused to tell him.

Morgan considered for a moment. "Alright," he finally said. A tickle in his nose, caused by the quickening breeze forced him to sniff before speaking. "I'll tell you what I know." Rick shifted with some anticipation. "I know that Michonne is a hell of a woman. She's been to hell and back and keeps going. Savin' people all the way. So if you don't wanna go down there to your house and start breaking down that wall you talkin' about? I'll take _my _happy ass down there with a sledgehammer and roses. Just waitin' for her to let me in."

Rick was at a loss for what to say. That wasn't how he had expected this conversation to go.

"Now," Morgan continued. "What's a man gotta do to earn his keep around here?"

Recovering from his shock, Rick gave a small shake of his head and spoke. "I'll uh- I'll probably put you on wall duty. Since you're good with a gun." Speaking of wall duty, a more pressing issue caused Rick to put what Morgan had just said to the back of his mind. "That being said..." he leaned in closer. "Tomorrow, I'm going to need you to gather any people from the Walker City that have any interest in combat. They should all be on guard duty and ready. One thing I forgot to mention is that we have an enemy. They call themselves The Saviors. They're led by a psychopath named Negan. And I feel like we're about to go to war."

The smile Morgan wore fell away. He should have known that there had to be _something_. The place really did seem too good to be true.

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Rick walked into his house a few minutes later and saw Judith asleep in her crib. He had told Olivia earlier to take her back to his house before he started the town meeting. He stepped inside, closed the door gently behind himself, and stood over Judith's crib. She looked peaceful. And he knew that the rest of the night would be peaceful because she had long ago begun to sleep through the night. So whenever she was out; she was out. Rick smiled down at her. He still marveled at how innocent and fragile she was in such a hard and scary world. It always made him feel humbled and frightened.

He began to get lost in thoughts when some familiar voices pulled him back. He wandered slowly over to the room that was now Michonne's and listened through the closed doorway. There was easy chatter from inside. A feeling of happiness, warmth, and slight envy filled his chest. Carl and Michonne. They were picking up right where they had left off. As if barely any time had passed. Rick found himself wishing that Michonne would give him the same honor as well.

He lifted his hand...hesitated...and then knocked on the door. The voices were silenced.

"Come in," Carl's voice called after a moment.

The first thing Rick saw when he opened the door was Michonne's sword lying beside her on the bed. He sighed and stepped fully inside the room. Michonne sat up from her lounging position and Carl turned to face him. Rick noticed that he looked slightly different. Neater somehow.

"Michonne gave me a haircut," Carl said by way of greeting and answering Rick's unasked question at the same time.

"Did she?" Rick glanced at Michonne. She didn't glance back. "Carl, can you give us a minute?"

"...Sure," Carl said. He glanced at Michonne and his father before leaving the room. Rick closed the door behind him.

"Is the room okay?" Rick asked, standing just inside the door.

"It's fine," Michonne replied.

"I finished settling your people into homes. Maya and Shaya will be released tomorrow and given their own place to stay. We just finished building walls around a new block so we have plenty of houses for new people."

Michonne nodded. "Good." She drew her sword into her lap.

"The town meeting went well too. As long as there's no trouble in the next few days, the citizens here should be pretty welcoming."

Michonne nodded again. Rick had no idea what to say to her. He felt like there were some magic words he could say that would get her to open up to him again. That would get her to stay. But he just couldn't seem to think of what they were.

"Thank you for trimming Carl's hair," he said. "It was getting out of hand."

"No problem."

Rick sighed and wandered to the far side of the room. "If I asked you to tell me everything you've been through since we got separated, would you?" Michonne was silent.

Rick was silent as well. He took a seat on the other side of the bed and waited.

Michonne sighed. She didn't really want to talk about it but she couldn't deny that she had seen this coming. "I never blamed you all for leaving," Michonne finally said. "Not for a while, at least. I understood it. Tyreese had just been killed. A herd was coming. It was best for the group. But the longer I was alone, the more I thought... 'If they had just waited for a few more minutes...' I made it back in time to see the bus leaving."

Despair pooled in Rick's gut. He turned to look at Michonne. Her back was to him. "Michonne...I-I didn't know...I was-"

"I know you didn't," Michonne said. She propped her sword against the wall and stood up. "But none of that really matters now. What happened happened. We don't need to revisit it."

"We do," Rick said, standing up as well. He walked over to Michonne. "I need to know why you feel like you can't stay. There's nothing out there for you to go back to. I don't understand why you would want to leave this place for that. Everything is here."

'_We're _here,' Rick thought silently.

"Everything _is _here," Michonne said. "But I forgot all of this a long time ago."

A stab of pain pierced Rick's gut. But he wasn't surprised. He nodded. "That's fine," he said. "But that still doesn't change the fact that this is the safest place for you to be. And if your reason for leavin' is simply because you feel somehow...misplaced...with all of us here, then I don't see a good argument there. We've got plenty of houses. Far away from everybody. You can go live in one of those."

Rick would prefer that she didn't move far away but if she at least stayed in the neighborhood, that would be fine with him.

Michonne stared at Rick. She wondered how she could even begin to get him to understand how she felt. Always between them, there hung the thought of their dead child when she looked at him. But she couldn't manage to bring the words explaining that incident to her throat.

As if purposefully searching out what she least wanted to talk about, Rick began to speak. "And I know we're in different places now. And we probably feel different things but...sooner or later...we have to talk about _us_. Michonne."

Rick couldn't forget that he had been on the brink of confessing love to her before they were separated.

Michonne looked Rick straight in the eye. "There is no us, Rick," she responded. "Not anymore."

A loud sound of sudden chaos exploded outside before Rick could process or speak. "Attack!" voices shouted. "Attack! Attack! We're under attack!" Alarms around the community began to blare out the sounds of war.

- Uhhh! That's the end of that chapter. The struggle is real guys. The relationship between Michonne and Rick is so complicated right now. It can play out in a thousand different ways so I'm just standing in the middle of the road, wondering which route to take while cars are barreling at me full speed. That's how I feel. Anywho. There's definitely gonna be some Rick/Michonne scenes coming in the next couple of chapters. Look forward to it. And thanks for the reviews. I appreciate it. And Puppeteer, the PM you sent...I hear ya...

And for the new readers! Yay! Glad you've tuned in! I'm trying to keep updates coming fairly regular. I think this chapter has been the one with the longest wait time so far? Iunno...maybe. Readers can correct me if I'm wrong. -


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Stay With Me, Michonne

"Stay with me, Michonne," Rick instructed.

Michonne ran to get her weapon and followed Rick out of the room where they met Carl coming down the stairs.

"Stay with your sister!" Rick said to the alert teenager. "Take her to the place we talked about." Carl nodded and hoisted Judith from her crib. Rick must have trusted Carl to get his job done because he immediately turned and left the house after his instructions. Michonne followed behind him.

"Rick, what do you want me to do?" she asked.

Their previous conversation was forgotten. They were a team now.

"If any of them get past the gate," Rick said, not slowing down for a moment. "Kill them." People hurried past and Rick gave them instructions similar to the ones he had given Carl. He was moving them towards some previously agreed upon safe haven.

"Who are we fighting?" Michonne asked, her sword drawn and at the ready.

"A group that calls themselves the Saviors," Rick explained. "They're basically just bullies who like to take other people's things. Led by a psychopath named Negan. He has a foul mouth and uses a baseball bat as a weapon. He's the one who killed Tyreese." Michonne's lips tightened as the horrible image of Tyreese's mutilation came to her mind again.

Rick's explanation was cut short when Daryl ran up to them. "Fighters are moving to their positions and everyone else is heading to the storm shelter like we talked about-" Michonne got her answer as to where everyone was going. They must have expanded Alexandria's walls to include a storm shelter; now they were using it for any emergency situations. It was smart. Michonne appraised Rick out of the sides of her eyes. Those leadership qualities were what made her fall for him in the first place.

"Have the other communities been informed?" Rick asked.

"Yeah," Daryl answered. "You were right. The dumbass is choosing this time to attack 'cause he doesn't see as many people guarding our compound. He's not thinkin' ahead like you, Rick."

"Let's hope not," Rick said. "But let's not underestimate him. We made that mistake in the beginning, remember?"

"What's the plan?" Michonne asked, feeling out of the loop.

"I sent some of my men to two other communities near here to be on standby. Then I put some men on watch to be on the lookout for Negan's men. Told them to ride ahead to those communities at the first sign of Negan's approach and notify them."

"Then we're gonna have reinforcements soon?" Michonne asked.

"No," Rick answered. "They're gonna be heading for the Saviors base camp."

Michonne felt that unwilling admiration grow in the pit of her stomach again. Two armies were going to be attacking Negan's camp while the boss was away and most of his men were here attacking Alexandria. It was a brilliant plan. But it was also risky.

"So we're on our own here..." Michonne said.

Rick nodded. He stared at Michonne, assured of his plan but looking for her approval. She nodded. Rick felt even more confident. He nodded back. "We still have quite a few people left here to protect this place," Rick said.

Morgan came running back to where Daryl, Rick, and Michonne stood. "Where do you want me?" he asked, his face serious.

"Come with me," Rick began to run off but Michonne stopped him.

"Maya and Shaya," she said. "They can help."

Rick regarded her for a moment, not wanting to split up. He had lost her in the midst of commotion before. He didn't want to risk it happening again. But he didn't have time to stop and consider for long. He let out a breath and unclasped a ring of keys from his belt. "The girl's knives are locked in the first drawer of the desk in the jailhouse," he said as he threw the keys to her.

With the keys in hand, Michonne temporarily sheathed her sword so that she could quickly make her way to the jailhouse.

"Find me again after you release them," Rick said, looking into her eyes, making sure that she understood and would comply to his words.

Michonne nodded. She then began to run to the jailhouse. Rick watched her go until she was out of sight. Shouts at the gate forced him to turn and focus on the commencing battle.

Michonne rushed into the jailhouse and found two already alert girls. They were standing in their cell with wide eyes. "What's going on?" they asked as Michonne moved to the desk and opened the first drawer. "What are the sounds outside?"

Michonne retrieved Maya's belt of knives and went to the cell door to open it. "Alexandria has some enemies," Michonne explained as she opened the door. "They're attacking."

"So we're escaping?" Shaya asked.

"Not quite," Michonne answered. "We're going to help them."

"Help who?"

"Yeah. Which side?" Maya chimed in.

"This side."

"But they locked us up," Shaya said, making her way out of the cell. Michonne handed Maya her belt and the girl wrapped it around her waist, feeling calmer with the weapons at hand. "I don't understand why we don't just leave."

"Because this is a good place," Michonne answered. "These are good people. We have to fight for it. Besides...they were going to release you tomorrow." She started towards the door and Maya followed her without question. Shaya hesitated but followed soon after.

"There's one problem," Maya said as they left the jail house amongst the now fading chaos of the earlier moments. "I don't know what anybody looks like. Ally or enemy. How will I know if I'm fighting the right person?"

"Right now we don't have to worry about that," Michonne said. "Because right now the enemy is still on the other side of those gates."

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Rick arrived at the gates just in time to see the body of one of his men topple over the wall. He had been shot.

"I don't even know who the fuck that was," Negan's voice, the voice of the man who had become a major pain in Rick's side, boomed on the other side of the wall. "Someone tell Rick to get the fuck out here or the big bad wolf is gonna start blowing some fucking houses down."

"I'm here Negan. What do you want?" Rick could see that a building they used as a storage facility already had some damage. That must have been what the explosion was.

"Oh, there he is," Negan welcomed, a false smile stretching his face. "My old buddy!"

Rick rested his hand on the weapon at his hip. "We can skip the false niceties," Rick said. "If you came here to fight then..." he tilted his head and gave a shrug of his shoulders. "We're ready."

"Whoa whoa whoa. Who said anything about fighting? I just came here for a friendly chat."

Rick's eyes scanned the group of men with weapons and scowling faces. He highly doubted that. "I'm pretty sure we've already said all we need to say to each other," Rick said. "I've told you my view of things and you've told me yours. We're not going to share our supplies. Not unless you give us something in return. Fair trade. It's how we operate with the other communities."

Negan laughed. "Look at this motherfucker," he said to his men. "Telling _me _how the fuck things operate." He turned back to Rick. "Okay, fine then..." he said. "You wanna get straight to business? We can do some fucking business." He stared at Rick threateningly. "You know the danger with expanding and building new walls? Fucking insects and rodents and all sorts of shit can get in before that new wall comes up."

An explosion sounded from behind Rick. They were targeting the construction area. Rick clenched his jaw but he didn't turn. He thought they might attempt that so he had guarded the area well. It wasn't as guarded as the rest of the community due to the incomplete walls, but Rick had to trust that his people could take care of things at that end. He had to focus on Negan right now. He was the one calling the shots so he was enemy number one.

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Michonne watched as one of the far walls that was being built began to get bombed with grenades. The citizens who were on guard there opened fired, dodged the debris-filled explosions, and shouted expletives. Michonne hesitated for only a moment, remembering that Rick told her to meet back up with him, but then a couple of the men from outside began to make their way inside. Rick's first instruction outweighed the second.

"Those are the enemies," she said to Maya and Shaya. "Kill them."

The three women moved indirectly. Hands, knives, and a sword could only be used at a certain distance. They had to get close in order to attack.

Their paths separated for a moment and then converged once again at the same target. An unlucky man who didn't see them coming. Maya approached his right side and slashed his knee deeply from behind. Michonne took that moment to kick his chest, sending him sprawling to the ground and she followed closely by piercing his throat with her sword. The red liquid spilled out around the tip of her sword in short spurts. Shaya came from the left and took the man's gun.

With no hesitation, she lifted it and placed a bullet in the chest of a large barrel-chested man who had bashed his way through two of the Alexandrians.

The citizens of Alexandria who were guarding the temporary bone structures of the unfinished wall were feeling overwhelmed. The Saviors had obviously planned this to be their main form of attack. They took out as many as they could but there were many Saviors. And they were beginning to push their way through.

A squirrely man with a mean face who was struggling with an Alexandrian man near the three women finished off his opponent and turned his attention to Shaya who was focused on placing bullets into any oncoming enemy. With pistol in hand, he raised his arm to take her out but that arm was soon gone. Michonne had spun around Shaya's back to bring her sword down onto the man's arm. Not even giving his face time to portray his shock, Michonne drew a red line across the man's throat. He was dead. He collapsed to the ground.

The men on the other side of the fence began to use automatic weapons. They opened up relentless fire on the people of Alexandria. Michonne, Shaya, and Maya scuttled to the nearest defenses they could find. For Michonne, that was a large barrel filled with construction dirt. She ducked behind it as bullets ricocheted all around her. She lost sight of the two girls.

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With her heart beating fast, Jessie raced around to homes, trying to make sure everyone who wasn't fighting had evacuated to the storm shelter. Her breathing was heavy and hurried. She was afraid and couldn't fight the ominous feeling that was looming over her. She knew Rick's plan. She knew how prepared he was for this. But she still felt as if something was going to go wrong. She needed to find him.

Jessie's eyes landed on a blonde, pregnant woman who was huddling, scared, at the side of the schoolhouse. Jessie didn't recognize her. "Hey," she said approaching the woman. "Do you need some help? Do you know where to go?"

The woman shook her head, clearly terrified. "I- I don't know where to go," the woman said. "I don't know what's h-happening. I just got here to-today." Tears were clinging to the woman's lashes. Her face paled and her eyes suddenly clenched tight as she grabbed at her protruding stomach. "I think I'm going into labor," the woman whispered.

Jessie's eyes widened at all of the new information. 'She must be one of Michonne's people,' Jessie realized. 'They don't know where to go for safety.' She realized that they hadn't been part of the neighborhood long enough to get filled in on the safety plans for when war was to break out. "What's your name?" Jessie asked, her eyes flicking down to the woman's stomach.

"Sarah," the woman gasped.

"Okay, Sarah, come with me." Jessie threw Sarah's arm over her shoulder and walked as quickly as she could with a laboring pregnant woman leaning on her. "We're going to the storm shelter. It's where everyone has gone to keep safe. Denise will be there. She's the doctor around here. She'll know what to do about your situation."

"Thank- thank you," Sarah gasped.

Jessie led Sarah to the storm shelter and had people there make sure they got her down the stairs safely. "She's going into labor," she announced to Denise from the top of the stairs. "Right now." Even though the storm shelter was a large one, it was crowded and claustrophobic since more people than the storm shelter was designed to hold were down there. "Will she be able to have the child safely down there?"

"She'll have to," Denise answered, already making a space for her.

Jessie backed away as Carl made his way up the stairs. He had given his sister to Olivia to hold. "Wait. Where are you going?" Jessie asked, following after Carl as he ran away at a hurried pace.

"I'm going to help," he called back, not bothering to slow down.

"Shit," Jessie said, clutching her head. Rick would never forgive her if anything happened to Carl while she was around. She ran after the teenager. When they came upon the construction site, her eyes widened. Men were spilling inside. The Saviors. The machine gun fire she had heard before had stopped but the sight of them spilling inside her home felt somehow more threatening.

Her eyes landed on Michonne. The woman kicked a barrel over to trip one of the men up, then she stood and stabbed him. One of the enemies who saw the interaction raised his gun to shoot her. Carl began to rush forward but Jessie grabbed him around the middle. "Carl, no!" she urged. "It's dangerous."

Carl struggled against her grip but Jessie held him tightly. "Let me go!" he shouted, his eyes wide with fear. His brain was jumping forward, the horrible image of Michonne dying happening in his head before it happened in real life. Jessie hugged him tighter from behind, her two arms gripping him tightly. The strength of his push and her pull caused Jessie to fall onto the ground, but she still held Carl tightly. "Michonne!" Carl shouted.

The next moment seemed to happen in slow motion. Michonne turned towards Carl's voice. The man began to pull the trigger. A frightened scream of Michonne's name left Carl's throat. He thought it was over and then a dagger went flying into the man's throat. His body froze, his eyes went wide, then he collapsed.

Maya held the wound on her side that she had obtained from a flying bullet. It was a graze. But it still hurt like hell. She stood breathing heavily, her stance that of one who had just used her whole body to throw the dagger hard enough to pierce the man's skin.

Michonne looked at Maya, looked to the man and assessed the situation. She had just come close to dying. She ran to Carl. He roughly pulled himself free of Jessie and stood up. "What are you doing out here?" Michonne asked, rushing him to the side of a building, clear of the immediate battle area. "Where's Judith?"

"She's safe. In the storm shelter," Carl answered. "I came to help."

Michonne sighed. She knew how capable Carl was but a deep worry filled her heart. Knowing Carl though, she knew telling him to go back to the storm shelter wouldn't be the right move. "Your dad's at the front gate," she instructed. "Run and tell him that we need help back here."

"It's dangerous!" Jessie said, her eyes wide. She had moved over to where they were.

"I can handle it," Carl said in a hard tone before he ran off.

Michonne met Jessie's eyes, the first time since the last time when she had seen them peering at her from the back of the bus. "He can handle it," she reiterated.

Jessie dropped her gaze.

Michonne turned to enter the fray again but Jessie stopped her. "Your people..." Jessie said. "They don't know about the storm shelter. You may need to check on them."

There was a moment of silence. Michonne didn't respond but Jessie knew she wasn't disregarding what she said.

A hand clamped onto Jessie's shoulder and she screamed. Michonne turned to see that one of the fallen enemies had turned into a walker. She pulled Jessie from the thing's grip and pushed her sword through his skull. "Make sure to destroy the brains of the dead! Come on!" she shouted. People were making mistakes as if they were in the first stages of the apocalypse and not a few years in.

"Oops," Maya said, still holding her side and burying her knife into the head of a newly killed Savior. "That's my bad." Michonne shook her head and ran back into the battle to help Shaya with a large man with a buzz cut. Maya followed.

Jessie was left behind the building. She stood there breathing, recovering from her fright. Michonne had just saved her life. One of the men who was guarding the construction site from the Saviors was James. She pulled him aside when he drew near.

"Do it," she whispered.

James' eyes went to Michonne. "Now?" he asked.

"Now," Jessie affirmed, her voice hard. "While it's chaotic. You have to do it now." James nodded. He became temporarily distracted by a gunshot near his foot and Jessie retreated. They separated. She didn't need to say anything more. James had heard her instructions. He would get it done. Jessie stared at Michonne as she worked with Shaya and Maya to take down many of the Saviors. They were like scavenging hyenas, all diverging on one prey at the same time. It was both frightening and fascinating to watch. Jessie felt regretful to have to get rid of such a formidable woman.

"It's nothing personal," she whispered into the air to the unhearing woman. A gunshot rang out and Michonne twisted to the ground.

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Rick's group had also entered into a gunfight with the Saviors at the front gate. Unlike the Alexandrians at the construction wall, Rick's group obviously had the advantage. Daryl eyed his targets through the bars of the gates and took them out. Morgan had a good, hidden vantage point along the wall and others were with him. Some of the buildings of Alexandria had been damaged due to dynamites but there was nothing much else the Saviors could do at the front. They weren't able to penetrate the well-fortified entrance.

When Carl found Rick, he was busy pressing himself against the wall of the semi-damaged storage building to protect himself from gunfire. He glanced at Carl, frustrated but unsurprised that he saw him there. "What are you doing out here?" Rick growled.

"Michonne needs help at the construction wall," Carl said.

Rick immediately felt urgency rise in his chest. He glanced around at the situation and saw that they were winning at this end. He sent Daryl a look and the man seemed to read his mind because he nodded from across the road. Rick knew Daryl would hold things down there. He glanced around once more, not seeing Negan. He hadn't seen him for a while now after the man had ducked out when the initial shooting had started.

"Let's go," Rick said to Carl. He took the extra gun he had from the band of his pants and handed it to Carl. They made their way back to the construction site.

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James' life was short after he shot Michonne. A dagger and a bullet pierced his skull at the same time. Maya and Shaya then hurriedly bent down to lift Michonne's body. They pulled her away from the chaos and into a makeshift ditch made from mounds of upturned earth. It wasn't until they were somewhat clear of the madness that they could even check if Michonne was alive or not.

She was. She only had a scratch on her forehead.

"A graze," she said, touching the blood on her head. She winced. She didn't allow herself to be shocked or dwell on the fact that this was the second time she had come close to dying today. She couldn't dwell on that. They still had things to do. "I gotta get my sword," she said, realizing that it had been left behind out there.

"Are you sure you don't just wanna get outta here?" Shaya asked. "Go back to our cabins?"

Michonne smirked. "I thought you didn't like it there," she said.

Shaya stood, having forgotten herself. "I don't," she said. Too little, too late.

Maya chuckled at the stubborn jut of her sister's chin and the half smile Michonne wore didn't leave her face. "Let's get back to it," she said simply. "We can win this."

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Gunshots announced Rick and Carl's entrances. They took out three of the Saviors on their arrival. Michonne turned to greet them with a glance. Rick was relieved to see her up and fighting with nothing but a scratch on her. He assessed the situation. Men were still coming inside the walls but there was a kind of reluctance about them. It seemed the Alexandrians had more of an advantage than either they or he had first thought. Some of his men were dead but there were many more Saviors on the ground.

Feeling emboldened, he shouted, "Let's finish them!"

A rhythm soon grew between the fighters. They received new energy at Rick's arrival.

Michonne fought with Maya and Shaya on one side and Rick and Carl on the other. For the first time since coming to Alexandria, she felt like she belonged. She was marveling at that feeling when a sound like thunder began to approach. It soon became clear that it was the sound of horse's hooves.

Negan rode amongst them, atop a black horse, with fire in his eyes. His arm arced upwards and he swung his bat, connecting it with the first Alexandrian he saw. It was Nicholas. Negan lifted his bat wrapped with barbed wire after he had hit his first homerun. Everyone could see that there was something clinging to the barbed wire. It looked like...rotted flesh.

It was walker flesh. Nicholas was infected. Negan began to laugh wildly. Fighting paused on both sides as everyone watched the spectacle.

Gritting his teeth, Rick raised his gun but Negan spurred the horse on, jarring it into a run. This didn't phase Rick though. He wasn't aiming for Negan. He was aiming for the bigger target. He fired his gun as the horse ran past and it collapsed to the ground with a wild and pained neigh.

The horse landed on Negan, crushing his leg.

"Ahhhhhhh!" the man screamed, his voice echoing across the grounds.

Rick approached the man calmly. He tilted his head and put the horse out of its misery. Negan didn't get the same consideration. Instead Rick turned to speak to the rest of the Saviors. "Do you wanna finish this fight?" he asked simply. "Or do you want to turn and walk away?"

The men looked at each other.

"You fucks better grab your peckers and fuck these fucks!" Negan growled through his pain. "We didn't come this far to become bitches."

"Shut up," Rick growled over his shoulder to Negan. He turned back to the Saviors. "Well?"

Negan scratched at the ground, reaching for his bat. Rick was close enough that he could at least swing and take his knees out from under him. Michonne moved forward and stepped on Negan's wrist. She pierced it with her sword. Slowly. Another scream escapd Negan's throat. "Bitch!" he shouted.

"...It's almost impressive..." Maya muttered to her sister, speaking of Negan's use of language even in the face of extreme pain.

The Saviors slowly began to shake their heads and mutter. "Come on," they said. "It's not worth it."

"Our place is better than this anyway."

"What are we fighting for?"

"There are other places that gladly give us supplies."

The men turned and began to leave the premises. No one moved until about ten minutes later when they were sure the men were gone.

"Fuckers!" Negan shouted.

Michonne brought her boot across his face and knocked him unconscious. Everyone stood silently for a moment. Then the silence broke.

"Whooooo!" Maya screamed, throwing her hands in the air. "We did that shit!"

The Alexandrian citizens began to scream and exclaim their own sounds of victory. Laughter started. Some ran off to get the people from the storm shelter. Rick stood breathing heavily, something akin to exhileration rising in his chest. A year-long threat was over. Alexandria could be at peace. From man and walker.

His eyes met Michonne's. And in that moment, the wall wasn't there.

Not thinking. Not hesitating. Taking advantage of the moment. Rick swooped down and captured her lips with his own. Why wait? She was here. In front of him. And everything was right. He had waited for her for one year and eight months.

The air stilled.

Michonne felt like she had been pushed into a pool of water filled with electric currents. Her body was shocked. She pushed Rick away so hard that her hands would probably leave bruises on his chest. A sudden awareness rushed over Michonne. 'I gotta get out of here,' she thought.

She turned on her heel, her sword in hand and headed for Jessie, who was standing just clear of the shadows of the building she had been hiding behind. No one knew what Michonne was going to do until her sword was piercing the heart of the young woman.

Michonne stared into the blue eyes that she had never quite forgotten as they stared at her through the bus windows. The life that had been in them just seconds before was quickly fading. Short gasps left Jessie's lips and Michonne could feel the girl's last breath leave her lips and land on her own. "...It's nothing personal..." Michonne whispered sincerely right before the last sliver of light left the girl's eyes.

She withdrew her sword and Jessie's body fell to the ground. Lifeless.

No one moved out of shock. Michonne turned to Rick. His mouth was agape and his eyes were wide. He was looking at her as if he didn't know who she was anymore.

Then pandemonium started. One of the Alexandrian men raised his gun. Jessie had been nothing but a help to his family. Michonne suddenly had the same face as the enemy.

"No!" Rick shouted, stepping forward. He raised his hand to the man who shook with restraint. Rick tried to come to terms with what had just happened. Michonne had just...she had just killed Jessie...Everyone at Alexandria loved Jessie. It was impossible for Michonne to stay with them now. He closed his eyes, filled with despairing realization. "Mi-Michonne," he said, opening his eyes. "This..." he could barely bring himself to say it. "This is cause for exile."

Michonne stood, accepting of her punishment.

Maya and Shaya, recovering from shock, moved to go to Michonne's side but she stopped them. "No," she said to them. "Stay here." The two girls looked at each other, not sure what to do. "You two belong here."

Carl, who had also recovered from his shock, had another thought. He understood what was happening. "I'm going with you," he said, stepping forward.

"No, Carl," both Rick and Michonne said.

Carl turned to his dad. "She can't go back out there alone dad." He turned to Michonne, resolved in his decision. "I'm not going to let you go back out there alone."

Rick felt unwilling tears come to his eyes. His throat worked furiously. "...Fine," he finally said, choking out the words. "Go with her."

"Rick-" Michonne started.

"It's final," Rick said harshly. He turned on his heel and left them. "Be gone by the end of the day."

- Don't worry guys. There won't be another time skip. XD -


	19. Chapter 19

- "Is it just me or does it seem like Michonne didn't kill Jessie because she was trying to kill her? Keep in mind like someone said she wasn't close to Jessie when she had that dumby try to kill Michonne. Reading the chapter it seems like Michonne killed her (maybe) because she doesn't like her but mostly so that she couldn't stay in the ASZ. I think that kiss from Rick scared the shit out of her and if you notice in the chapter her first reaction is I have to get out of here. I truly believe that her killing Jessie is to ensure that she can not stay at the ASZ because she knows before she kills Jessie that there's nothing she can do to make Rick let her go or to keep him from following her if she sneaks out. Killing Jessie was the only way to ensure that she could leave and not be bothered with others, Carl is just a wrinkle on her plans." - Guest

^ This. Guest, you get me. :D Michonne wasn't killing Jessie out of revenge (though she did feel some resentment towards the woman – let's be honest) but in that moment, her killing Jessie was simply because it was the surefire way for her to get kicked out of ASZ. No questions asked. She didn't know Jessie ordered James to kill her. Michonne was slightly indifferent to Jessie. She was actually being sincere to a degree when she said... "It's nothing personal," as she killed the other woman.

Thanks everyone for the reviews! New chapter! -

Chapter 19: Exile

Michonne and Carl lay side by side on the bed of a cabin in Walker City. It was dark. It was night time. They were a week into their exile and they were staring up at the ceiling with nothing to do. A lone group of candles stood on a night stand beside the bed, illuminating things only a little.

"I can't believe Dad actually let me go with you..." Carl said into the darkness.

Michonne chuckled beside him. Carl was shocked. "Why?" she asked. "You wishing he didn't?"

"No," Carl stated.

"Yeah right," Michonne laughed. "I saw you grimacing about having to catch some fish earlier. You've gotten used to easy livin' at Alexandria."

"...Maybe..." Carl admitted. "I never really liked catching fish anyway." He looked over at Michonne. "But I don't regret coming with you. I'd hate to think of you out here by yourself. Again."

Michonne brought her hand up and gently swiped his cheek to get him to look back at the ceiling. She wasn't into getting sentimental tonight. She didn't want him to see how much she appreciated his words. It scared her how much. She had been so ready to be alone. Why was she happy to have him there?

"Well..." Michonne said. "...Just tell me when you get tired of roughin' it and want to go back. I'll take you."

"I won't get tired," Carl said. He mimicked Michonne's posture and placed his hands onto his stomach while crossing his legs at the ankles. "I'm staying as long as you're staying."

"Then I guess we're going to get tired of looking at each other's faces," Michonne said with a small laugh. "'Cause I'm staying forever."

"I'm staying forever too then," Carl said easily.

Michonne was quiet for a while. "...You'll miss your dad," she said.

"He can come visit," Carl said. "In fact, I'm sure he will. Soon. That's probably why he let me come. He knows you won't disappear from him while I'm with you. He's just biding his time, figuring out a way to get you to come back...Then he's gonna do it."

"Do what?"

"Get you to come back," Carl said simply.

"I don't think so, Carl," Michonne said with a shake of her head. "I killed his girlfriend."

"Jessie wasn't Dad's girlfriend. I mean...she stayed over a couple of times but they were never... 'together'. Not like you and Dad were." There was silence. "Is that why you killed her? Because she was sort of with Dad?"

"No," Michonne said. "I just knew how people in the community saw her. She was loved by a lot of people. I killed her so now I'm hated by a lot of people. So even if Rick _wants _to bring me back. He can't."

"And you wanted it that way."

"Like I said...whenever you get tired..."

"I _won't _get tired."

"Okay, then." Michonne was quiet again. Her mind went to Rick for a moment, wondering how he was getting along with just Judith. The house would seem quite empty without Carl in it. The man's whole purpose in life was to keep his children safe. Carl and Judith. Now one of them was gone. He must feel like half of himself was missing. Guilt moved its way into Michonne's stomach. 'You can't have children of your own so you're taking someone else's,' her mind pricked her maliciously. She moved her fingers over to the small flames at the wicks of the candles and let her hand play there, seeing how long she could hold her skin against the fire before it began to sting and burn. "I'm surprised Rick let you come too," she said. "If you were mine, I wouldn't have."

"I _am _yours," Carl responded immediately. Naturally.

Michonne's head turned quickly to look at Carl in the dark. She was shocked and surprised. And touched. "Ow!" She took her hand away from the flames, having let her fingers get too close for too long.

"Are you okay?" Carl asked, looking over.

"Yeah," she said, clenching her hand into a fist to get rid of the momentary sting. It had been a while since she hadn't welcomed the pain. It reminded her of how she felt a week ago...fighting those Saviors. She had almost died twice. And once she realized it, she had been...scared. Scared to leave again after she had found-

She cut the thought short.

Suspicious and curious about her exclamation, Carl stared at her for a moment longer. His eyes darted to the flames and he thought about asking her if she had hurt herself again but he decided to let it go. They had all the time in the world to talk; there was no need to rush anything.

And he didn't feel guilty about what he said. He still loved Lori the same. And he always would. She was his mother. But he had learned long ago and was mature enough to know that placing Michonne in his heart didn't mean that he loved his natural mother any less.

"You seem more comfortable here than at Alexandria," Carl said. "You were laughing earlier..."

"Was I?" Michonne said, trying to act natural. As if Carl _hadn't _just claimed her as his guardian.

"I think it's because I'm here," Carl bragged playfully. "You would be lonely if I wasn't here." Michonne was too busy acknowledging the truth of that statement to play along.

"...You never did tell me that secret," Carl started again on another topic to bait her into conversation.

"What secret?" Michonne asked.

"On the bus...before everything. You said you and Judith had a secret and you would share it if I told you the plan. Well, you got the plan but I never got the secret."

"Oh." Carl thought she was about to tell him but she didn't say anything.

"I think I already know what it is," Carl said.

"You do?" Michonne asked.

"Yeah. You were never very good at keeping it secret."

"What is it then?" Michonne asked.

"_You _tell _me_."

"But you said you knew what it was."

"I still wanna hear you say it."

There was a long moment of silence and then Michonne spoke. "I love you, Carl."

Carl smiled into the darkness. "I knew it..."

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A messenger on horseback appeared at Michonne's gates the next day. On guard with their weapons drawn, Michonne and Carl waited until the stranger spoke.

"I have a message from Rick Grimes!" the messenger shouted.

Carl and Michonne glanced at each other. Carl gave her an "I told you so" look. Michonne sighed and opened the gates. The horse trotted wearily through the space left open in the middle of the wall of walkers. Michonne sheathed her sword when Carl gave her a nod, telling her that this was, in fact, one of Rick's men. "What is it?" Michonne asked when the man was inside.

"Grimes says he's going to be coming by to visit in the next couple of days. So expect it." Michonne received another know-it-all look from Carl. She ignored it.

"Did he say why he would be coming?" Michonne asked.

"No," the man said. "But it's probably to see about his boy." His eyes went to Carl. "You okay, Carl?"

Carl nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, Mr. Jones."

"Good."

"Why didn't he come now instead of sending you?" Michonne asked.

The messenger shrugged. "He's just being polite. He doesn't wanna show up without notice. It's rude. Do you have a message you want to send back?"

"Tell him we love him!" Carl shouted.

Michonne sent him a withering look.

"The- the both of you?" the man asked, looking between the two people.

"Yeah," Carl said with a laugh.

"No," Michonne answered.

The messenger left, confused and Carl remarked. "I think Dad wants to be in on our secret."

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On the day that Rick was due to arrive, Michonne was down at the creek with Carl. She swiped her hand in the water and splashed him with it. He ducked away but didn't retaliate. "You should try to talk to my dad like you talk to me," he said.

Michonne didn't respond to that. Instead she changed the subject. "Do you miss Anna?" she asked.

"Who?" Carl questioned.

Michonne laughed. "I guess not..." she muttered under her breath. "Anna!" she reiterated to Carl. "The girl you said was following you around."

"Oh. No," Carl said. He was silent for a moment then made a confession. "I actually think Maya's pretty cool..."

"Maya?" Michonne's eyebrows raised. "My Maya?"

Carl nodded, his face turning red. "What she can do with the knives...It's cool."

Michonne opened her mouth to respond but the sound of approaching horse hooves brought both her and Carl to their feet. "Dad." Carl went running to the gates. Michonne followed behind him, keeping her anticipation in check. Hating that she felt anticipation.

They opened the gates and Rick came inside on his horse. He slid off of the saddle and greeted his son with a hug. Michonne stood back while the two reunited. "Did you get our message?" Carl asked, wearing a mischievous smirk.

Rick glanced over at Michonne. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I got your message."

"How's Judith?" Carl asked.

"She's fine. She's been asking about you though. I had to leave her with Olivia so I could make this trip."

Carl nodded. He could just imagine his little sister calling out for him in her broken speech. It made his heart hurt. He missed her. Michonne noticed his expression and felt guilty once again.

Rick looked up at Michonne. "Maya, Shaya, Daryl, Morgan, Maggie...and everyone else...They wanted to come see you but I gotta talk to you alone. If that's okay."

Michonne nodded. Rick rubbed Carl's hair and told him to wait for him. "...Like you talk to me," Carl said quietly to Michonne as she followed behind his father. Michonne gave him a reassuring look. But that was easier said than done.

When they got into the privacy of a room of the cabin Michonne and Carl were currently staying in, Rick's shoulders tensed. The air became thick. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Did you really want to leave so badly?" he asked. "That you would kill Jessie in front of everyone?" Michonne was quiet. She was waiting for him to say everything he needed to say before she spoke. "I knew then that it was going to be difficult to get you to stay. The people loved Jessie. She was really an asset to the community." He turned to Michonne. "But I'm not gonna stop," he said, his eyes staring into hers. "After almost two years of living with second thoughts and regrets about leaving you behind, I can't let it happen again. You're not going to get rid of me so easily."

"You didn't love Jessie?" Michonne asked. "She told me you were sleeping with her..."

Rick's heart crashed to his stomach. For some reason, he hated hearing those words come from Michonne's mouth. He sighed. "...I should've never done it..." he said. "It was strange...Living without you. _I _became strange. I spent so much time looking for you after we reached Alexandria. But you were nowhere to be found. No trace. Carl and I had held out hope for so long but I really began to think that you were dead. But I was in such a great place like Alexandria. We had finally found relative safety. I knew I should be happy. Time just seemed to start to pass. It was as if I was watching life happen through a television screen. It was me but it wasn't me. I couldn't really _feel _anything anymore. It was like I was a shell of myself. I wondered if I could feel start to feel whole again with Jessie but...I couldn't. I should've never done it. It wasn't fair to her. Or me. Or you."

"You don't have to worry about me, Rick," Michonne said. "It doesn't bother me that you slept with her. We're done. I stopped thinking about you a long time ago."

Her words pricked Rick but he didn't back down. "But I never stopped thinking about you," he admitted. "I imagined meeting back up with you so many times. But ever since I found out you were alive and saw you again...It feels like nothing I've done has been right. I want to start over."

"We can't start over. Too much has happened."

"Like what?" Rick asked, desperate to get through the wall surrounding her. "Tell me what you've been through."

Rick waited in silence. Michonne didn't say anything. He sighed.

"I'm going to send some men to help build a real wall around this place," Rick said, starting on another topic.

Michonne stepped forward. "Don't," she said.

"While my son's staying here, I want this place as safe as possible," Rick said, his eyes flashing.

"You can't just use Carl as an excuse to meddle in my life," Michonne bit back, her eyes flashing as well.

"I'm not meddling in your life," Rick said. "I'm making sure my son is safe. You're going to need access to supplies, better safety arrangements-"

"So what? Are you going to start paving roads from here to Alexandria next?"

"Actually yeah," Rick said, his hands on his hips. "That was part of the plan."

Michonne shook her head, disbelieving. "You're not letting me go at all. You're just making this a part of Alexandria. I won't have it."

"I'm just trying to keep you safe!"

"You're just trying to keep me! Period!"

The cabin rang with silence. "Is that such a bad thing?" Rick finally asked. "I miss you, Michonne."

Michonne was taken aback at the sincereity in Rick's words. Rick stood clenching and unclenching his jaw, shy with his confession. A thought suddenly came to Rick and he put his hand into his pocket. "Here," he said, pulling out a piece of hard candy.

'Seriously?' Michonne thought. "I'm not a pet or a child, Rick," she said. "You can't upset me then make everything okay with a piece of candy."

"I know," Rick said. "I just wanted to give you this." He offered it again.

Michonne took it. Rick enjoyed the feel of her fingers brushing against his palm.

"...How did you get out of the tree?" Rick asked as Michonne placed the candy on her tongue.

Michonne sighed, realizing Rick wasn't going to give up on her story. She recounted jumping onto the roof of the pharmacy, going through the ceiling, covering herself in walker guts so that she could move through the first wave of the herd. Then she mentioned how she caught up with the bus. "Jessie saw me. But she didn't tell anyone."

"She _saw _you?" Rick asked. "But she didn't say anything?!" They didn't have to be separated if only Jessie would have opened her mouth. Rick rubbed a hand over his face and sat down on the bed. He thought of all the times he'd brought up the possibility of Michonne being alive in front of Jessie. While she had known for a fact that Michonne had escaped Greensboro.

"She wanted you, Rick," Michonne said. "I was just in her way."

"I didn't know," Rick said, shaking his head. "I didn't know she did that to you. She was nothing but an asset to the community. There were no clues..." He thought back to a strange death he had seen while they were cleaning up the battlefield. James. He had a knife in his skull. Obviously Maya's. But he had been one of theirs. Rick had confronted the girls about it and they had told them that the man had almost shot and killed Michonne. Rick thought maybe things had just gotten hectic and confused during the battle. But James was really close to Jessie. He followed her around like a puppy. Rick put his head in his hands. Jessie had been trying to get rid of Michonne? "I should've seen it. I should've-"

"Then I saw Tyreese," Michonne said, continuing with her story. "Dead. I figured you all left in a hurry because of a new threat. Figured I'd catch up. I holed up in a hotel until the bulk of the herd could pass. I just knew I could catch up. But things don't always happen like we plan. I ended up having to slow down. To rest longer than I had planned because I was-" Michonne stopped speaking. She couldn't say it. "I found out I was-" Rick looked at her expectantly. She couldn't do it. "There were some complications," she finished.

She shook her head. "That's all there is to it. I ran into a bit of trouble. Met up with Morgan. Began to find people. Then I came here. That's it." The candy had completely dissolved in Michonne's mouth by the time she finished her story.

Rick knew that she had just glossed over something big. There was something she wasn't telling him.

"Why did you stop looking for us?" Rick asked. "You said the plan was to catch up to us. What happened to change that?"

"It's like you said..." Michonne said. "There just weren't anymore clues..."

Rick sighed. She was closing herself off again. She wasn't going to tell him anymore.

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Rick, Carl, and Michonne stood in the creek that afternoon, trying to catch dinner. The water lapped around their waists. Michonne stood as still as a statue with her net poised to catch whatever dared to swim nearby. Carl and Rick were fidgeting.

Michonne rolled her eyes. "If you two keep moving around like that, you're going to scare all the fish away."

"Yeah, dad," Carl said, throwing the blame.

"No one's movin' around as much as you, itchy britches," Rick shot back.

"You're both moving around enough to create a tidal wave," Michonne said, stopping the argument short. "I'm moving downstream. Don't follow me. _Someone _has to put food on the table tonight." Michonne left the two guys alone so that she could fish successfully.

"...Did you talk to her?" Carl asked his dad when Michonne was out of earshot.

Rick sighed. "Yeah, I talked to her. A little. Not enough."

Carl nodded. "We have to take it slow. She's coming around. I feel like you can be with her again if you play your cards right."

Rick glanced at Michonne's back. "I don't know, Carl," he said. "She seems pretty happy doing her own thing now."

"Yeah," Carl said. "But we just have to make her realize that she's happier with us. I'm doing my part, now you just have to step up."

Rick smirked. "And just how exactly are you doing _your _part?" he asked teasingly.

"I got her to admit she loved me a couple of nights ago," Carl said proudly. The teasing grin fell off of Rick's face and he glanced at Michonne again, who was still focused on catching fish. "Jealous, aren't you?" Carl asked with a smirk as he noticed his father's expression.

"No," Rick lied. He began to look for fish again. "She actually said those words?" he asked.

"Yeah," Carl answered.

Rick frowned. He couldn't imagine Michonne saying those words to him.

Carl laughed at the expression his dad wore. He looked like a kicked puppy. Carl splashed water into his face to wash the expression away. Rick jerked back and sputtered as some of the water flew onto his lips. He fixed Carl with a vengeful stare and splashed water back in his direction. They began to make a rowdy good time of it.

Michonne looked back at them. She wanted to be annoyed that they were scaring all the food away but she couldn't be. She hadn't seen Rick laugh and play like that since...well, never. She watched in a kind of awe.

"Michonne!" Carl yelled, soaked from his father's onslaught. "Help me!"

Michonne shook her head and turned back to focus on the task at hand. She was going to leave this one alone.

"Aha!" Rick laughed when he saw that Michonne wasn't coming to the rescue. "This will teach you to choose your battles carefully and not pick fights you can't win."

Rick dunked Carl's head beneath the water. He wasn't cutting Carl any slack and was enjoying having the upperhand until a heavy stream of water was poured over his head. He released Carl and turned to see Michonne holding the bucket they had brought out to put caught fish in over his head. She had filled it while he was busy dunking Carl and had poured the contents out onto him. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" she asked a shocked Rick.

Carl laughed out loud and pointed at his father. He moved over to Michonne's side. They both began to splash Rick with water and he retreated while covering his face. "Alright, alright!" he shouted. "I give up!" But they didn't let up. They only laughed and splashed harder. Rick allowed it to happen. This was his first time seeing Michonne laugh since their separation. If him getting pummeled by water was the price he had to pay to see it happen, he would gladly accept it.

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"When are you going back, Dad?" Carl asked.

Rick, Michonne, and Carl were sitting on the floor of the living room in Michonne's cabin. A rug softened their contact with the wooden floor. A small floor table sat between them where they had just finished sharing the one fish they had managed to catch. Rick looked between his son and Michonne. He could only see them from the firelight that illuminated the room from the fire going in the fireplace. They had all changed into dry clothes from their excurison in the creek. The warmth from the fire and the satisfaction of a good meal gave Rick the feeling of never wanting to leave. "In the morning..." he answered.

Rick stared at Michonne. Carl noticed the look. "I'm gonna go to bed," he said, standing up quickly. He bent down and gave Michonne a hug. He bid his father good night.

"Good night, Carl," Rick said. He watched him leave. "This place has two bedrooms?" he asked. "...It's bigger than I thought."

"It's only this cabin that has two bedrooms," Michonne responded. "The other ones all have rooms with bunk beds. We think this was a kids' summer camp or something."

Rick nodded. "I guess I'll sleep out here on the couch," he said. "Carl probably doesn't want me crowding his space."

"...I'll get you some blankets," Michonne said. She stood up and traveled deep into the house to retrieve the blankets. She pulled them from the closet in her room. She felt Rick's presence before she saw him. "No, Rick," she stated.

Rick pulled her around, causing her to drop the blankets, and pushed his lips against hers. Michonne pushed him away and slapped him. Then she advanced on him and covered his lips with hers. Feeling a churning in her stomach, she pulled away. Ignoring the stinging pain of his cheek, Rick kissed Michonne's neck and pushed her towards the bed. "I feel sick," Michonne muttered.

"I've waited so long, Michonne," Rick whispered, pulling his shirt over his head. He palmed her center of heat through her pants.

"No," Michonne whispered roughly. "No. I don't want this."

She kicked Rick away from her. Rick studied her from a distance for a moment. His eyes intense. Then he stalked back towards her. When he reached her again, he cupped her face tightly between his hands and kissed her even harder than he had before.

Michonne struggled against him. But not by pushing him away. She tried to kiss him harder than he was kissing her. She tried to be rougher. Hurt him more.

She twisted her body so that he fell backwards onto the bed. He scrambled to straighten out across it while Michonne straddled him. She dug her nails into his chest and attacked his lips again. Rick didn't know whether they were fighting or having sex. But he didn't want her to stop. This was the closest she had allowed him to get in a while.

Rick yanked her shirt up. Michonne lifted her arms and allowed Rick to bring it up over her head. When she was free of her shirt, she kissed Rick again, biting his lip.

"Ah!" Rick couldn't keep the exclamation of pain from escaping. She had drawn blood.

Michonne began to grind into him and he gripped her hips. Rick felt himself hardening in his jeans as Michonne moved against him, her breathing short and heavy. Rick's breaths began to match. Rick moved his hips to match her rhythm, his heart beating fast in his chest. Then he felt wetness against his shoulder.

His thrusting slowed.

The short, heavy breaths Rick had taken for passion before became clearer. They were sobs. Michonne was crying. Her body shook with sobs on top of him.

"Michonne?" Rick asked, concerned. He turned onto his side so that he could see her face. She buried her face against his chest and he draped his arm over her, stroking her back softly. "Michonne?" he said again. "What's wrong?"

"We- we had a son," Michonne whispered.

Rick tilted his head towards her, not sure if he heard correctly. "What?" he asked.

"We had a son," Michonne announced in a clearer voice.

Rick felt his heart stop a thousand times with that sentence.

- Yeah, Rick. The woman is going through something. Try to keep it in your pants, okay? Let's get some reviews -


End file.
